Demonic Soul
by TheYoungestCrazySister
Summary: Yukiko and Amaimon marry and have a daughter. Everything seems perfect. A happy ending. But nothing lasts. AmaiXOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue! Please review!  
**

* * *

Prologue

Have you ever planned a demon wedding? Well, it's hard work. No, worse than hard work. It's _exhausting_, absolutely _debilitating_. Or at least, it was for Amaimon, the King of Earth, and his bride-to-be, Yukiko Bundō.

For one thing, according to Japanese law, a 16-year-old girl can't get married without parental consent; Yukiko's father was dead and her mother had abandoned her. Looking her mother up and asking for her permission wasn't the best option; just the mention of that woman's name made Yukiko wild with anger. For a brief moment, she'd been afraid that the wedding wouldn't happen. Amaimon had, too, even though he'd refused to show it: he'd locked himself in his room and eaten so much candy, he had a stomachache that last for two whole days. Then, Shura stepped in: because Yukiko and Hoshi were still minors, they could be adopted. The 26-year-old redhead was able to adopt them without a lot of fuss.

That was one problem solved. The next one was the issue with Amaimon marrying a non-demon. When Yukiko asked why, her husband-to-be explained: many humans couldn't handle Gehenna. With all the darkness and death, even _demons_ didn't like spending too much time there. Oddly enough, Amaimon wasn't the first demon king to ask the hand of a human: his half-brother Egyn, the King of Water, had tried. After two weeks, his wife went insane. Humans simply couldn't take it.

Yukiko then asked if she could become a demon. This caused a real rumble. In at least a century, a demon had never been created; mostly, they were born from other demons or Satan himself. Amaimon had gone to his father for advice. The Demon Lord (with much swearing) eventually decided to give his youngest son his blessing and told him what to do.

The only way for Yukiko to become a demon was for a demon to bite her. Again, it showed how much vampire legends had taken from demons. Yukiko hadn't exactly liked the prospect: she had so many scars on her body she looked like a fur-less tiger, and she'd already lost a kidney and her stomach. Getting two Dracula-style bite marks on her throat hadn't seemed all that grand. But she eventually agreed. She wanted to marry Amaimon, and he'd promised not to harm her.

After that, the wedding plans went as any other. Well, if one excludes the number of demons invited, the blood bowl next to the punch bowl, and the fact that hobgoblins helped with the decorations.

* * *

Eventually, the big day arrived. Amaimon wasn't awoken in his favorite way: all seven of his half-brothers yelled happily and dragged him out of bed. He moaned and rubbed the yellow crust out of his eyes as pairs of hands slapped his back jollily. The loud male voices made the Earth King's sensitive ears twitch:

"**_Finally,_** little brother!"  
"You're getting married!"  
"I can't wait to meet my sisters-in-law!"  
"Let's hope she's pretty!"

"Alright, alright." Mephisto waved his hands, making everyone settle down, "Gentlemen, our mission this morning is make our brother look fit for Miss Bundō, for Shura, Kuri, and Hoshi will be helping her prepare. And we all know those three won't stop until she's godlike."

"Right!" Egyn grabbed Amaimon by the tail, making him yelp in pain, "Let's go, Broccoli Boy! You're getting a nice, hot shower!"  
Amaimon shot Mephisto a look that clearly said: _Why're you doing this to me?_

In response, the purple-haired demon smirked and held up a dark green Armani suit, a white rose in the front pocket. Amaimon's large eyes glittered and, with some reluctance, he allowed his brother to shove him in the bathtub and dump five types of soap in the water.

* * *

Yukiko wasn't much better off. She at least had the decency to wake up before her bridesmaids practically carried her to the bathroom. Kuri, her African-American friend, stripped her of her nightgown six sizes too large and shoved her in the bathtub.

Yukiko didn't even have time to cough out the soapy water; Kuri was already pouring jasmine-scented shampoo in her short hair. As the cinnamon-blonde opened her mouth to protest, Kuri scrubbed hard, covering every inch of her scalp before rinsing off and repeating the action. Then, after she did the same with peach-scented conditioner and scrubbed Yukiko's skin (removing two layers of dead skin), Kuri let Yukiko towel herself off. Then, with all the authority of a queen, she held up something that made the young girl want to scream and jump out the window: leg-waxes. After much coaxing and begging on Kuri's part, Yukiko emerged from the steaming bathroom lacking hair on her legs, arms, some from her face, and armpits.

Once she was out of Kuri's hands, she was instantly placed in Shura's. The redhead originally wanted to dress her adopted daughter in an outfit similar to her own: tight-as-skin shorts and a bikini top. But considering the number of scars on Yukiko's body, Shura fitted her into a wedding gown. It was possibly the most impressive gown Yukiko had ever seen: it was emerald-green, and just tight enough to reveal her curves without being too uncomfortable. It showed a bit of cleavage, much to Yukiko's exasperation: she tried to put a shirt underneath it, but Shura locked her wardrobe. The gown also included long, fingerless gloves the color of maple leaves to hide the scars on the bride's arms. Yukiko crossed the line at wearing high-heels (or, as she called them, 'high-hells'), so Shura lent her an extra pair of boots. Her cinnamon-blonde was kept away from her face with malachite clips, and a simple green upside-down cross decorated her long neck.

Finally, Hoshi had the honors of the final touches: make-up, nails, and perfume. She sprayed so much pine perfume on Yukiko, the bride joked that she smelled like a new car. The Japanese girl evened out her sister's nails and painted them dark green. Finally, she added just a touch of make-up to Yukiko's face: a bit of blush, eyeliner, and a small, almost invisible, amount of lipstick.

As the three women helped Yukiko put on her veil, Hoshi grinned, "So, sis...ready for your wedding night?"

They giggled as Yukiko's face turned the color of a tomato, "Hardy har har." She chewed her lip, "I'll probably be terrible. What if I freak out?"  
"Just do wut I do," Shura said, "Imagine somethin' funny, an' you'll relax."  
"Something funny?" Yukiko repeated, like the words were foreign to her, "Like what?"

"I dunno, like," Shura thought a moment, "If ya choke a Smurf, wut color does it turn?"

Yukiko blinked slowly before turning to her adoptive mother, "'Choke a Smurf'?"

"Yep."

Yukiko leaned forward and whispered, "Is that what they're calling it now?"

* * *

The guests, all distant demonic relatives of Amaimon's,(including some of the nicer Satanic prostitutes he used to use to relief his lust urges) began to swarm in the main hall. The Earth King fingered his tie. Just to prove how nervous he was, vines, grass, and tree branches kept poking in the room from the windows and tiles.

Iblis slapped his brother's hands, "Will you stop it? You look fine!"

Amaimon sighed and forced his hands to his side, "Iblis, I'm...scared. What if she backs out at the last moment? Not that I could blame her. Having relatives like these..." He winced.

Iblis sighed and rolled his russet eyes, "You're paranoid. I've seen you two together. Yukiko adores you. Of course she won't back down."

The Earth King frowned, "Wait a second. You've been-?"  
"I was keeping an eye on my daughter Hoshi." Iblis said, a bit worriedly, "I have this premonition concerning her. Like...she's going to become a full demon, too. And not for the same reason as her sister."

Amaimon opened his mouth to ask why, but Mephisto nudged him hard in the ribs, "Come, now. It's about to begin."

Indeed, organ music filled the air. Everyone seated themselves in the benches as the bridesmaids appeared one by one. First, Kuri came out from the doorway. Several male demons whistled, making her blush bright red. She was wearing a mustard-yellow dress that hugged her in all the right places, and her light brown hair was falling in thick waves of perfection. She winked friendlily at Amaimon, making him 'cough' and study his suit.

Then, Shura showed up, as under-dressed as ever. She wore a bright red tank and a black miniskirt, and her long, dark red hair was kept loose. Shura got even more wolf whistles than Kuri, but she just smirked and kept walking.

Next, Hoshi made her way down the corridor. She was dressed in a long dress that started out yellow, then changed to orange and crimson towards the bottom. Her pixie-cut hair had been washed and spiked so it stood out in every direction. When she saw her father for the first time, Hoshi blinked before smiling awkwardly. Iblis smiled wider than anyone had ever seen him and gave his daughter a small bow. The girl's smile relaxed, and she went to join the bridesmaids.

Finally, Yukiko appeared, slowly making her way towards the altar. Astaroth smirked and nudged Iblis. When the Fire King looked at his brother with a puzzled frown, Astaroth jerked his chin towards Amaimon, "Look at the gooney look on his face!"

Iblis slapped him upside the head before turning back to the bride. Yukiko was trying hard to seem calm, but her blood was roaring so loudly, she was sure the demons' sensitive ears could pick it up. She looked at Amaimon and felt her spirits touch the sky. She still couldn't believe her luck. After her mother left her to die, Yukiko had stopped believing in God. If there was a God, why would he let a noble man like her father die, and leave her to the mercy of a murderer? She still had her doubts, but now, with Amaimon gaping at her, Yukiko was beginning to feel that the odds were in her favor after all.

She felt...happy. Ridiculously happy. Fairy-tale happy.

Amaimon held his long-nailed long to her. She took it, lacing their fingers. As the two stood side by side, the music faded.

Since this was a (let's face it) Satanic union, no priest wanted to wed Amaimon and Yukiko. That's why Azazel, the King of Spirits, was smoothing out his immaculate white robe. Shura rolled her eyes while Yukiko shot Amaimon a look that screamed: _Why the hell did they pick **him?**_

"Dearly beloved and eternally damned," Azazel began, "We're gathered here today to join this young woman and this demon in marriage. Now, before we start, are there any objections?"

No one said a word.

"Good." The albino demon nodded once, "Now, marriage is taken somewhat lightly in the human world. Human couples marry, but more often than not, they separate through a ritual called 'divorce'. Many of these times, humans marry for superficial reasons, such as sex bribes, money, power, or reputation. It is quite rare to find a couple who wishes to be united out of the sheer need to be together. Ladies and gentlemen," Azazel's icy face broke into the smallest of smiles, "We have such a couple today."  
Amaimon blushed, and Yukiko chewed her lip bashfully.

"Now, this ceremony will begin with the groom biting the bride, thus turning her in one of us. But, Yukiko," The judge turned to the bride, "You must be completely sure. Is this truly what you want? Once you become a demon, you will never age or tire, and you will gain abilities much like Amaimon's. But you can never return to humanity once you turn your back on it. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Yukiko responded. She didn't speak timidly or nervously; she alleged in a clear, firm voice that ended the discussion, "I've learned something. Appearances can deceive, and even the gentlest soul can become a vicious killer. Everyone believes demons to be evil, disgusting creatures. But I've seen noble, just demons and sadistic humans. For me, the barrier separating them has dissolved. I choose to become a demon."

The room was so silent you could hear a mouse breath. Then Frank Clarkson, the half-human son of Azazel, slowly began to clap. In a moment, the entire room was applauding Yukiko's speech, making the girl blush beet-red. Azazel nodded, though one could tell he liked her answer, "Very well. Amaimon." He gave his young brother another nod. Amaimon bowed his head and turned to Yukiko.

"Yuki..." He placed his hands on her jaw and stared into her eyes, "This may hurt a little."  
"I know." Yukiko nodded. Her eyes showed fear, but she was still as a statue.

Amaimon nodded and quickly bit his bride in the jugular. Yukiko couldn't stop a little yelp of pain as her eyes fluttered shut. The entire crowd held its breath as Amaimon pulled away, wiping the drops of blood from his mouth. Yukiko looked ready to pass out despite her eyes being closed; she placed a gloved hand on her wound, and when she pulled away, her palm was sticky and black. With a deep breath, she opened her eyes. The flames on the candles suddenly turned bright blue.

"I feel...stronger." She whispered.

"Welcome, sister." Egyn grinned.

Azazel looked pleased as well. He continued, "Yukiko Bundō, daughter of Neko Bundō and Josefina Kyla. Do you take this demon to be your husband and king?"  
Yukiko still looked a little dazed, but she nodded fiercely, "I do."  
"And do you, Amaimon Pheles, take this newly-born demon to be your wife and Earth Queen?"

"You bet I do." Amaimon replied.

"Then, by the power invested in me by our great Lord Satan, I hereby pronounce you bound mates." Azazel held up his hand. Two balls of lights appeared in his palm and levitated towards the couple. They crawled into their left sleeves. Yukiko pulled her sleeve down to reveal an inverted pentagram the color of fresh blood.

"As long as you both shall live, you will have these two identical symbols. Even if one of you takes a new host, the symbol will reappear, no matter what form you take." Azazel slid a half-smile in the couple's way, "You may kiss your bride."

Amaimon didn't need telling twice. He grabbed Yukiko by the shoulders and smashed his lips over hers. Yukiko responded, tangling her hands in his hair. The crowd cheered wildly, many throwing their hats in the air.


	2. Chapter 1: I Love You

**Okay guys, here's a warning: this chapter contains sexual themes. No sex or nudity, but it's obvious. You have been warned!  
**

* * *

Chapter 1: I Love You

"Where are we going?" Yukiko asked for the third time as Amaimon guided her through Gehenna. He'd blindfolded her to save her from all the gruesome sights outside, but just to be sure, he kept the blindfold on her face until they reached his room. "Here we go, my bride." He announced. Yukiko couldn't stop a small giggle as he undid the blindfold. Her chocolate-brown eyes analyzed the room, taking in every detail.

The whole room was themed green: the walls were flawlessly painted to imitate a forest. The floor was covered in a soft green carpet, and green paper lanterns floated in midair, casting the room in a cozy but strong light. And then, there was the bed; it made king-sized look tiny. The bed took up 1/3 of the Earth King's room, spread out in every direction to make one comfortable. The covers were patterned with vertical black-and-green stripes.

It didn't take a genius to know Amaimon's reason for bringing Yukiko here.

Feeling very pathetic, she whispered, "I'm scared."

"Don't worry, Yuki." Amaimon snapped his fingers, and the door clicked, "No one will walk in on us."

"It's not that." Yukiko studied her shoes, "I..." She looked at her husband, "I have a confession to make."

Amaimon frowned slightly.

"I've never done it before."

Amaimon's face was as blank as Azazel's. Yukiko last three seconds before muttering, "There, I knew it. Now you-"

A black-nailed hand over her lips silenced her. Amaimon gazed at her with his huge green-blue eyes, "Would you do it with me?"  
"Yes." Yukiko responded without hesitation.

Amaimon smiled a little, "Then...come." He gently took her hand and led her to the bed.

* * *

What felt like minutes but really was hours later, Yukiko cuddled up in Amaimon's chest. His arms wrapped around her, and he buried his nose in her hair. Yukiko was still panting, but she cleared her throat and managed to whisper, "Is that...what it's always like?"  
"No." Amaimon replied, "Never like that."

Yukiko winced. She'd been right at the wedding. She'd been terrible!

"It was a hundred times better." Amaimon cut through her spiral of fear. Yukiko sighed in relief and kissed his jaw, a spot she knew made him shiver. The Earth King grinned from ear to ear and stroked her scarred back, "You know, I still have those 100 prostitutes, but-"

Yukiko pulled away from him and gave him a glare, "If another girl touches you, I'll smack her!"

Amaimon stared at her with a dropped jaw; he was slightly taken aback by her possessiveness, but he still felt proud that she'd chosen him. With an approving growl, he tucked her curly hair behind her ears, "I doubt any of those girls could make me feel like you can."  
Yukiko grinned and kissed him gently. When she pulled away, still using the sheet to cover herself, she snuggled in his chest, "I've never been happier in my life."

"Neither have I." Amaimon answered, sincerely meaning it.

Yukiko thought a moment, "Like touching the sky."

"No, much more." Amaimon responded, "At least a thousand miles into space." He hesitated, "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."  
Yukiko looked at him with concern. What had happened? Nothing negative, she hoped.

"I love you."

Yukiko's eyes widened. An ecstatic feeling bloomed in her chest, and it spread on her face. She looked at him, "Say it again?"

"I love you." Amaimon smiled a little.

Yukiko let out a little noise of joy and kissed him again. Amaimon responded, placing a hand on the back of her head. After a long moment, she pulled away, looking deeply in his eyes, "I love you, too."


	3. Chapter 2: InLaws

**PLEASE please please review! PS: da-ring is Japanese for 'darling'. 'Kanojo' means 'sweetheart'. I just imagine Satan has a human appearance. I mean, Satan's a concoction of human religion, so I figured he'd look like a human.  
**

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Chapter 2: In-Laws

For the next couple of weeks, Amaimon and his Earth Queen lived very happily. Each day, Yukiko looked a little more demonic: her ears became pointed, all of her teeth turned to fangs, and a long, furry-tipped tail the same color of her hair grew until it reached her knees. Amaimon was relieved when Yukiko simply accepted it and didn't try to hide her new features like Egyn's wife had.

Since she was part of the royal family now, her brothers-in-law insisted that she wear fancier dresses. Yukiko agreed, but only up to a certain level: she wore gorgeously-designed dresses, but they were loose enough to keep people from thinking that she partied all day. She wore make-up, but it was the same amount as on her wedding: kohl-rimmed eyes and just a touch of lipstick. Yukiko felt a little silly at first, but when Amaimon noticed her and accidentally ran into a wall, she voted to sticking to the look.

All in all, she relatively enjoyed life in Gehenna. Despite missing the sunlight and noise she'd grown up with, Yukiko tried to make her realm a nice place for her subjects. Now that she was Amaimon's wife, she had just as much power as he did. With a snap of her fingers, she made pitch-black grass grow. Cyprus and pomegranate trees decorated the land, and rivers of quicksilver glowed in the dim light. Amaimon was only too happy to help out: by the end of three solid working days, Gehenna looked like a Gothic garden.

Then, came the next big issue couples face: meeting the in-laws. Then again, most couples didn't have Satan as a relative.

"Okay, just calm down," Yukiko told her husband as she brushed dust off her midnight-blue gown, "I mean, he just wants to meet me. He's not going to blow me up. All I have to do is please him. Okay, _kanojo?_"  
"I'm calm, _da-ring_." Amaimon said bluntly, "You're the one who's nervous."

"No I'm not!" Yukiko crossed her arms, "What makes you say that?"

"You've told _me_ not to be nervous 36 times." Amaimon tried to keep a straight face, but his lip trembled. Yukiko groaned and cradled her face in her hands, "You're right! I'm on pins and needles! He'll never like me! I was baptized!"

Amaimon stopped walking and turned to Yukiko. He placed his hands on her cheeks, "_Kanojo_, everything will be fine. Father will adore you."  
"How can you be sure?"  
"Because," Amaimon said it in such a rational tone, Yukiko almost believed it, "I'm his direct heir, and to me, you're the most beautiful flower in the world."

"Aww, stop it Amaimon! You're making me blush!" In fact, Yukiko was looking away and turning the color of a pepper. The Earth King smiled victoriously, "I mean it. I've seen lots of flowers, and none can compare to you-"

Yukiko kissed him gently before he could continue. Amaimon smiled against her lips and kissed her back. He liked the way she kissed him; it wasn't rough and dirty like his prostitutes, but soft and loving. The green-haired (reluctantly) pulled away and continued to lead her to the throne room, "Sorry, my blossom, but we mustn't keep Father waiting." He shuddered, "The last time someone kept him waiting, Father threw him off the highest mountain."

"Ouch." Yukiko winced.

She didn't have time to say anything else. Two small demons guarding the doors saw them and bowed deeply. Then, they emitted weird spluttering noises that Amaimon nodded to. With that, the two demons opened the doors effortlessly. It was kind of bizarre, for the doors were twelve meters high and made of thick iron.

It took all of Yukiko's courage not to run. The throne room was the most frightening and impressive room she had ever seen. Whole animal skeletons were hanging on the walls, and enormous windows overlooked Gehenna. The floor was covered in carpets made of ash, and on either side of the throne were fountains of lava.

Satan sat on a throne made of human skulls. He wasn't your stereotype red guy with horns and a pitchfork. He was actually relatively normal-looking. What made Yukiko flinch (though she barely managed to hide it) was how much he resembled his sons. Like Amaimon, he had skin as white as frozen milk and eyes too large for his face. His lean face resembled Mephisto's, though it was a lot scrawnier than the purple-haired demon's. He had eyes as black as pitch and hair that changed shades of black as he moved. One minute, it was bluish-black; then, it was coal-black; then jet-black.

"So, this is the girl?" Satan demanded.

"Yes, Honorable Father." Amaimon bowed from the waist up, Yukiko mimicking him.

Satan snorted and got up from his throne. He looked at Yukiko from hair to foot. He studied her face, "So...Yukiko. How're you at fighting?"  
Yukiko wondered if she'd misheard. She blinked and responded, "Relatively good, Your Majesty."

Satan cracked a smile. Without a warning, he snapped his fingers. The ground rumbled under their feet. Before either of the newly-weds knew it, seven demons made of anything rotting (bones, flesh, and mud) were clawing their way out of the ground. Their glowing eyes settled on Yukiko. Amaimon paled and tried to step in, but Satan grabbed him by the coat, "Uh, uh, uh, sonny boy."

"You can't put the Ruins against her!" The Earth King was frenzied beyond recognition, "She hasn't learned to control her powers for offense yet!"

"That's why," Satan grinned, "She's gonna hafta fight someday, whether she's ready or not. What'll she do?"

Yukiko's face had gone parchment-white. She clenched her hands, and dozens of rocks flew in from the window. With a yell, she sent them flying towards the Ruins. The demons obviously weren't expecting this, as they shielded their faces as more and more rocks pelted them mercilessly. One even got the knife knocked out of its hand. A Ruin tried to make a run for it, but Yukiko (who was already starting to sweat) pointed to something on the ceiling. A chunk of concrete the size of a car crashed right on the Ruin, killing it.

The six Ruins looked at their master for advice. He just pointed at her. If Ruins could look exasperated, these ones did. Still, they held their blades high in the air and raced towards her. Yukiko was running low on energy, and fast. She slammed her fists against the carpet. A zig-zagged fissure came forth, widening by the second. Two Ruins fell inside, roaring in defeat. One Ruin howled and threw its knife to Yukiko, which was transforming into a spear. The cinnamon-blonde turned just in time to see it slice her hand off.

"_YUKIKO_!" Amaimon screamed, "Father, that's enough! PLEASE!"

Satan didn't appear to have heard his son. He was watching his daughter-in-law intently.

Yukiko was grateful for the adrenaline; it kept her from feeling too much pain. She knew demons had a rapid regeneration, but she didn't know about it going so far as fixing limbs. Still, she tried making her severed hand move. After a second, the pinky twitched. Grinning, Yukiko dodged a Ruin's swing at her and kicked it away. Slowly, the hand turned fingers-down and started crawling back towards the Earth Queen.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Amaimon cheered. Yukiko smirked as her hands crawled up her dress, on her arm, and re-attached itself to her wrist. Her black blood boiled for a minute. When it receded, her hand was as good as new. With a cackle, she stared intently at the chunk she'd used to kill the first Ruin. It levitated in the air and swung into two others, crushing them against the wall.

Though she was tired and sweating, the cinnamon-blonde glared at the remaining four, "Come on, bring it on!"

The Ruins looked ready to fight, but they froze. Satan waved his hand, and they turned to dust. The room echoed with his slow clapping, "_Brava_. You managed better than I expected. Not bad for an amateur." He turned to his youngest son, "I like her."  
He turned back to Yukiko, grinning. Satan stuck out his claw, "Welcome to the family."

"Er..." Yukiko shook her father-in-law's hand. It was colder than ice, "Thank you, your Highness."


	4. Chapter 3: Conflict

**PLEASE please please review!  
**

* * *

Chapter 3: Conflict

Astaroth cackled hysterically, slamming his hand on the table. As he did, the wood rotted and fell away. Yukiko yelped and bolted to her feet, still holding her teacup. When her brother-in-law finally calmed down, the cinnamon-blonde said sarcastically, "I get the vague impression that you find something amusing in what I just said."

"Amusing? No," Astaroth grinned, "Amazing? Hell yeah! You're practically an infant, and you beat _five_ Ruins? When I was your age, I could barely defeat_ two_ without losing a limb!"  
"I _did_ lose my hand." Yukiko held up her arm, revealing the faint scar around her wrist.

"Yeah, but you managed to use our regeneration!" Astaroth was like a child at Christmas, "My Father! No wonder my little brother fell for you! You're amazing!"

Yukiko blushed and tucked some hair behind her ear, "Yeah, well...must run in the family."

Astaroth stopped and stared at Yukiko. The female demon realized that he mustn't have received a lot of compliments in his life. Otherwise, he wouldn't be staring at her like she'd just sprouted a second head. Smiling at him, Yukiko said, "Still, I think I could do better. Do you think you could train me?"

"Me?" Astaroth chortled, "I'm flattered, dearie, but you really should turn to your hubby for that. Earth's his element. I can just rot stuff."  
"Oh. Okay, then." Yukiko smirked, "Maybe, after I get some training, we can duel."

"That's more like it." Astaroth winked at her, "See ya, sis." With that, he vanished in a puff of ash.

Yukiko sighed happily and started to make her way back to the castle.

She allowed her instincts guide her to Amaimon. Ever since the wedding, the bride and groom had found themselves being able to find each other without much difficulty. If one called to the other, they received a response telepathically. Later, Egyn explained that it was part of demon marriage: since it was naturally dangerous in Gehenna, mated demons developed the ability to find each other using their sixth sense. For Yukiko at least, it was like answering to a distant echo.

She found herself in front of the throne room doors once again. The cinnamon-blonde suppressed a groan. What had her mate gotten into**_ this_** time? The Earth King seemed to have a knack for getting into trouble. Just the day before yesterday, he'd received a very thorough spanking for accidentally destroying a hotel a Satanic cult had resided in. If Yukiko hadn't stepped in and begged her father-in-law to cut Amaimon some slack, the green-haired demon would've been injured beyond repair.

She knocked thrice before pushing the door open effortlessly. Yukiko was quick to bow, "I beg your pardon, Honorable Father-sama, I am looking for my mate."  
A familiar snicker made her frown and look up, "Well, well, well. You've certainly changed."

Yukiko laughed in joy. Mephisto and Hoshi were standing in the throne room. The purple-haired demon was as pink and immaculately-dressed as always, while the child of Iblis was wearing a dark red uniform. Yukiko and Hoshi were embracing each other before anyone realized it. "Man, sis!" Hoshi examined her sister from head to toe, "So, Amaimon deflowered you? I hope you used protection!"  
Yukiko was flustered and amused at the same time as she hugged Hoshi, "Aww, Hoshi! It's so good to see you!" She pulled away, "Whatcha doing here?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." Mephisto winked with a toothy grin.

"Sorry," Yukiko bear-hugged her brother-in-law, "How've you guys been?"

"I'll tell ya," Hoshi ran a hand through her short black hair, "Dad's made me his official heir!"

"SHUT UP!" Yukiko hugged her sister again, this time hard enough to break bones. Mephisto frowned, "I beg your pardon? 'Shut up'?"  
"Aniue," Amaimon tapped his brother on the shoulder, "I've learned that 'shut up' doesn't always mean 'be quiet'. It can mean 'wow' or 'gee whiz' or 'by golly'-"  
"Yes, thank you, Amai. I think I get the picture." Mephisto cut his brother off.

Amaimon and Yukiko's hands met, fingers lacing. Satan spoke in a voice loud enough to put sirens to shame, "ANYWAY, I was just sayin' that things're getting fucking messy in Assiah."  
Yukiko frowned, "How so?"  
Hoshi took over, "Apparently, something crawled up the exorcists' asses. More demons are appearing, so their numbers are doubling. And they're freaking out at the mere sight of demons. And here's the thing: demons are starting to get pesky."

Yukiko's frown deepened, "_How_ pesky?"

"Hobgoblins scaring little girls, a plant demon is trying to possess a girl, and familiars are starting to turn on their masters." Hoshi explained. Though she spoke in a relatively calm voice, her dark brown eyes were filled with anxiety. Yukiko turned to Satan, "Honorable Father-sama, do you know why this is happening?"

Satan snorted, "If I didn't, hon, I think I would've been fired a long time ago. Yeah, I know why. They're kickin' up a fuss 'cuz they found another pair of half-demons."

"That's all?" Amaimon frowned, "They've never acted this way before. What's so special about these two?" While waiting for an answer, he stuffed some candies in his mouth.

"Oh, I'll tell you," Satan smirked, "They're my own children."

Amaimon's green-blue eyes widened. He coughed and spluttered, pounding on his chest. Yukiko quickly gripped his shoulder and patted him gently in the back. Seven candies flew from his mouth. Mephisto grimaced, "Well, serves you right for biting off more than you can chew!"  
Amaimon ignored his older brother completely and looked at Satan like he hoped he'd misheard, "W-what? But...but Father! I'm your youngest son!"

"Not anymore, kiddo." Satan snarled. He snapped his fingers, and a photo appeared in mid-air. It zoomed towards them; Mephisto took it and eyed it carefully. Yukiko, Hoshi, and Amaimon looked over his shoulder. The photo consisted of two teenage boys standing side by side. One had pale skin, messy bluish-black hair, and ocean-blue eyes. The other had fair skin, short brown hair, and turquoise eyes framed by glasses. Something about that one seemed familiar. Then, Hoshi snapped her fingers, "I remember him!"  
She pointed to the brown-haired boy, "That's the kid who showed up that day in the conference! What was his name?" The black-haired girl thought a moment before bursting, "Yukio Okumura!"

"Exactly." Satan said, "The blue-eyed one's named Rin."

"Father," Amaimon sounded heartbroken, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Eh," Satan shrugged, "You never asked."

Amaimon's hands balled into fists. Without another word, he raced out of the throne room, slamming the door behind him. Yukiko watched him go with wide eyes. She fought every instinct telling her to run after him and turned to Satan, "Father-sama, do these boys know the truth?"

"Yukio does." Satan answered, "Rin doesn't. In fact, Yukio's already an exorcist. He's a regular human. But Rin," His eyes gleamed, "He inherited my flames. Imagine, Yukiko! Fucking perfect vessels for me!"

"Sir," Hoshi said in a firm voice, "Sooner or later, Rin's flames are going to show up."

"I know." Satan said, "That's why I'm sending Astaroth to retrieve Rin. Gehenna could use a ninth prince." He waved his hand, "Now go. I got some shit to think about."

Yukiko bowed before hugging Hoshi, "Sorry, I just-"

"It's fine." Hoshi winked, "Just to let you know, I'll be moving in soon. So I expect a full report." She mock-whispered, "If he touched you inappropriately, I'll whoop his ass."

Yukiko snorted and patted her sister's back, "Bye, sis."

* * *

Amaimon sat on the roof of his tower, throwing stones telepathically. Each rock flew farther than the one before, but it didn't make him feel better at all.

"I thought I'd find you here." Yukiko's soft voice made some of his anger recede. Still, he didn't want his wife to see him like this.

"Please leave." He said, throwing another rock. It disappeared in the fog. A second later, a demon yelled angrily. "...No." Yukiko sat next to her husband, "I'm not leaving until you tell me why you stormed off like that."

"Yukiko, you know me better than anyone." Amaimon said bluntly, not looking her in the eye, "You know how I feel towards my father."  
"Yes, I do." Yukiko took his clammy hand in hers. Again, Amaimon felt some of his anger dissolving. "You love your father, even though you'd rather shoot yourself than say it, and you really want his approval."

Amaimon said nothing, but he gave a small, almost invisible nod.

Yukiko scooted closer to him, "_Kanojo_, you have to understand. Your father's bound to fall in love with a human, just like you did. Okay, so he didn't tell you. But he's got a lot on his mind. Satan-sama's been through a lot. More than you, anyway."

"But...how? How could he do this to us?" Amaimon's forehead rested on his knees. Yukiko sighed, "He didn't do this to you or to me. He fell in love with a human. It...it happens."

"That's not all I'm afraid of." Amaimon faced her, "What if...Rin...?" He sighed and hid his face in his hands.

Yukiko stared at him for a moment. "...You think...Rin's going to take your place?"

"Why not?" Amaimon laughed bitterly, "I'm just a trouble-maker. Why not choose the one who inherited Father's flames over the pesky little demon who keeps causing havoc?"

Yukiko was so shocked, she didn't answer for a moment. Then, she hugged Amaimon from behind, "Because Satan loves you. In his own twisted way."  
"But he's-"  
"A demon. Just like you." Yukiko pulled away and smiled slyly, "You think you're the only demon who knows about love? Everything will be fine, really. All this really means is: we have a new member of the family."

Amaimon stared at the cinnamon-blonde so intently, she shifted uncomfortably, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just..." The Earth King felt the stones in his stomach lift as the truth came out, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Yukiko hugged him again. This time, he responded, tangling his fingers in her hair. The Earth Queen pulled away and wiped her eyes. She changed to a lighter subject for his sake, "Now...I was wondering. Will you help me control my powers?"

Amaimon grinned, "Nothing could make me happier."


	5. Chapter 4: Pudding in the Oven

**PLEASE please please review!  
**

* * *

Chapter 4: Pudding in the Oven

For the rest of the day, Amaimon trained Yukiko in the Forest of Strife. The Earth Queen had to admit, when it came to harnessing abilities, her mate was merciless. He asked her to do dozens of seemingly impossibly tasks, like creating geysers, literally camouflaging herself, and imitating the sounds of nature to lead hunters astray.

Still, Yukiko refused to give up. Amaimon was honestly surprised at her insistence; he'd expected her to give up after she failed to create a geyser 16 times. They were both relieved to finally lie on the black grass and stare at the crimson clouds. Both were covered from head to foot in dirt and grime, but they couldn't care less.

"You were excellent." Amaimon said after a brief silence. Yukiko turned to look at him with wide eyes as he pulled out a yard-long candy bar.

"R-really?"

"Yes." Amaimon nodded, taking a bite that would put Buffalo Bill to shame. Yukiko blushed, "Thanks. But still, I need to work on my imitations. I totally suck at it-"

"Yuki." The Earth King cut his wife off with a surprisingly stern look, "You did exceedingly well. Stop beating yourself up, I implore you."

Yukiko smiled again, "...Okay." Then, her attention went to the treat in his claws, "What in the hell is that abomination?"

"My afternoon snack." Amaimon answered, his green-blue eyes glittering, "I figured: why have a foot long when I can have a _yard_ long?"

"Um, because no one should have a yard long of _anything_." Yukiko arched a brow.

"Hey, hey!" Amaimon held up the candy bar, "You see this? This is _three feet_ of sugary goodness!" With that, he took another huge bite. Yukiko shook her head and chuckled, breaking off a piece.

They lay on the grass eating, until Yukiko felt an old question bubble in her chest. With a deep breath, she asked, "Amai?"

"Hmm?"

"I've been wondering...I know siblings rarely look alike, but are you and your brothers really related?" She asked, scratching her head. Amaimon rolled on his side so he was facing her, "Yes. We all share the same father, but we were born from a different mother each time. Except Mephisto and I." He grinned, "Mephy didn't inherit any of Mother's power, but he looks a lot like her."

"What..." She wondered how much she could ask without seeming rude, "What did your mother look like?"  
Amaimon smiled, though it was a melancholic grin. He sat up and waved his hand. A bright green box appeared in midair. He took it in his claws and opened the lid. "It's my Remember Box." He explained, "Whenever there's something or someone I really want to remember, I put it in here."

"That's so sweet." Yukiko smiled.

"Hey, when you've lived as long as I have, there are certain things you don't want to forget. Ah!" He pulled out an old piece of yellowed parchment. Amaimon looked at his wife, and Yukiko saw absolute trust in his pale face. With a tiny smile, he placed it in her waiting hands.

She gasped, and her hand met her mouth. She was looking at a faded photograph of Hermia, Amaimon's mother. She looked maybe in her mid-twenties, with Amaimon's huge eyes and slender frame. She had knee-length hair that rippled like a stream, and her dress was made of flower petals. In her arms was a gurgling baby with leaves growing out of its head like locks of hair. Yukiko saw some resemblance this woman had with Mephisto: something in the high cheekbones, the devilish smile, the thin eyebrows. The date at the bottom dated over a hundred years ago.

"I didn't know cameras existed back then." Yukiko muttered, her eyes never leaving the photo.

"Oh, it's not a photograph," Amaimon explained, "It's a painting."

Yukiko almost dropped the parchment, "A-a _painting?_ But it's so detailed! Who could've done it?"

Amaimon giggled, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Yukiko smirked, "Try me."

"Mephisto."

Yukiko blinked. Then, she fell into a laughing fit. Amaimon stared at her for a minute before joining in. After a full minute, they wiped their eyes and managed to control their breathing. "Mephisto?" Yukiko repeated, "I didn't know Mephisto liked art!"

"He did. Back then," Amaimon's grin vanished. Sadness took its place, "Since he didn't inherit much power from Mother or Father, Mephisto spent his time painting and drawing. He mostly did portraits of Mother, but when she died, he stopped. Burned all his art supplies."

"I'm sorry." Yukiko bowed her head.

The corner of Amaimon's mouth went upward. He bumped his shoulder with hers, "Thank you." Yukiko smiled at him and opened her mouth to say something, then she grunted and fell on her back. "What? What is it?" The Earth King inquired, alarmed.

"My...stomach..." Yukiko's eyes widened. She slapped her hand over her mouth and whirled around. She vomited black demon blood, her body shuddering. "Yukiko!" Amaimon put a hand on her shoulder. When the vomiting finally stopped, the Earth Queen had gone sheet-white.

Amaimon didn't need a second invitation. He picked Yukiko up and raced back towards the palace.

* * *

"Hmm..." Vulpes, the demon doctor, emitted for the 25th time. For the seventh time, he checked Yukiko's neck for a pulse.

"If he says 'hmm' one more time, I'm going to rip his head off." Amaimon growled.

"Hey, Amaimon," Kage instructed, "Inhale, exhale. There's a good lad."

The Earth King huffed and took a deep breath. Vulpes turned to the two demon princes, "After a thorough examination, I've concluded something. King Amaimon, er," He fumbled with his hands, "You might want to sit down for this one."  
"I'm fine standing, thanks." Amaimon snarled.

Kage nudged his brother so hard, they heard his ribs crack. "Ow!" The green-haired boy rubbed his chest as his brother said, "Hey, he was helping a ghoul give birth before coming here. Be nice."

Amaimon sighed in exasperation and snapped his fingers. The floorboards levitated in the air and formed a makeshift stool. The Earth King crashed in it, "Alright. I'm seated. Now, talk."

"Yes, sir." Vulpes nodded, "Um, here we go. Your wife..."

"Yes?" Kage coaxed, his black eyebrows arched.

"Your wife has a pudding in the oven."

"Huh?" Amaimon frowned.

"She's knocked up."

"What?" The Earth King's frown deepened.

"She's pregnant, dude!" Kage snapped, "Pregnant! With child! You're going to be a father! Did you get that?"

Amaimon's face was deathly pale, and his pupils were the size of pinheads. Then, he fainted.

Kage turned to Vulpes, "I think he got it."


	6. Chapter 5: Baby Girl

**Thanks for the reviews, guys!**

**PS: The idea of Yukiko dreaming of what her kid looks like is based on an actual fact; shortly after my mom got pregnant with me, she dreamed of what I'd look like at the age of 6 or 7. Also, I recently re-read the third book of Harry Potter, the Prisoner of Azkaban (one of my faves) and thought the idea of living books was somewhat Gehenna-like.**

**Hope you like!  
**

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Chapter 5: Baby Girl

Yukiko griped, her chocolate-brown eyes slowly opening. The first thing she realized was Kage, the King of Shadows, sitting in midair. He had a pair of crescent-moon spectacles on his thin nose, and his stormy-gray eyes were fixed on the book in his hands.

"K-Kage?" Yukiko's voice sounded like she'd scrubbed her tongue with rubbing alcohol. The black-haired demon looked up and greeted his sister-in-law with a nod, "Hello, Yukiko-san. How are you feeling?"

"Okay...ish. How about you?" Yukiko started to sit up, but the movement sent daggers of pain through her stomach. Kage's pale hands instantly pressed her back down, "Careful! You're in a fragile state."

Yukiko arched a brow, "Excuse me? Shouldn't _I_ be the one to know the state of my body?"

Kage smirked in amusement, "Well then, Your Grace, why do you feel awful?"

Yukiko opened her mouth, then shut it. Kage grinned coldly and explained, "Might as well start with the first bit of news: you are pregnant."

Yukiko felt like the bed under her body had been yanked away. She gaped at the pale demon before spluttering, "Me? Pregnant? But how? I never-" Memories of her wedding night came back to her. She blushed bright red, "Oh."

"Yes." Kage agreed, "Your body is still undergoing the transformation. That's why it reacted so strongly when the egg was fertilized. It was too soon."

"Then..." A shudder of fear made the cinnamon-blonde visibly flinch, "Is the baby-"

"No." Kage shook his head, "As demons, we have a much, much higher endurance than humans, even as infants. The chances of a demon child dying in the womb are close to zero."

"Oh, good." Yukiko put a claw on her chest.

Kage's smug look dissolved. He looked at her with what looked like...concern. "Yukiko-san," He said, "As you might've guessed, demon pregnancy is a different category from human pregnancy. For one thing, it's much shorter: two months, in fact."

"But how's that possible?" Yukiko frowned, "Our aging's stopped-"

"In your case, yes." Kage cut his sister-in-law off for the second time in a row, "Vampires have taken so much from demons, we should sue the bastards. Anyway, yes, as a demon, your body has physically been 'frozen' at the age of 16. For actual-born demons, it's a bit different. We have monstrous forms, and in order to visit Assiah, we need a vessel. That's why we take humans who have a bit of Gehenna flowing through their veins or seeping in their brains. Otherwise, the body's too...pure."

Yukiko nodded, "Like the body Amaimon claimed. It was a soothsayer boy who almost drowned."

"Yes." Kage nodded, impressed, "The body, while continuing to function normally, stops aging. Otherwise, we'd have to go looking for a new one every few decades. You catch on quickly."

The cinnamon-blonde smiled, "Thanks."

The black-haired demon steered them back to the original subject, "Anyway, demon pregnancy, besides being a lot shorter, has the opposite effect on females."

"You mean..." Yukiko's eyes widened, "Instead of _gaining_ weight, I'm going to_ lose _it?"

"Well, yes. You're going to weaken tremendously as the child feeds off your energy. It's not doing it because it's evil or anything, like most people believe. It's doing it subconsciously." Kage said it so bitterly, Yukiko wondered if there was something the demon was concealing. Still, they'd only spoken to each other a handful of times; asking might've seemed rude. Instead, Yukiko gritted her teeth against the pain and sat up, "So, what do I do in this case? What am I supposed to eat? How am I supposed to act?"

"Father has a library downstairs." Kage smiled a little at the girl's eyes glimmering, "We can do some research together."  
Yukiko grinned, "Thanks, Kage."  
The pale demon bowed politely, "My pleasure, Yukiko-san."

"And another thing," Yukiko piped up, "Don't add anything to my name. No 'san', 'chan', or even 'sama', though I won't deny I'd enjoy that last one. Just 'Yukiko' or 'Yuki' is fine."

Kage's eyebrows risked to reach his hairline, "...Oh-kay. Still, it's disrespectful to address to a queen so informally."

"I'm not a queen to you." Yukiko pointed out, "I'm just your half-brother's wife. Being formal with me seems pointless."

Kage stared at the girl before nodding, "Alright...Yukiko."

* * *

Two hours later, Yukiko, Kage, Hoshi, and Amaimon had managed to find a fair amount of information. Partly, it was thanks to the library itself; while it had high ceilings and contained thousands (if not millions) of books, it wasn't exactly your typical book room.

For one thing, the books were alive. When Yukiko tried to take one, it snarled and tried to bite her. Amaimon grabbed the book and stroked the spine. The book purred and relaxed in his grip. Also, all of the furniture was made of poisonous plants: belladonna, poison ivy, poison oak, monkshood, and many Yukiko didn't recognize. The Earth Queen was relieved to learn that demons were immune to Assiah's poisons. Otherwise, they'd be in serious trouble.

Finally, the four had twelve pages' worth of notes. Yukiko found her head pounding, like someone was hammering it from the inside of her skull. When Amaimon noticed his wife's barely-concealed expression, he put a hand on her back, "_Kanojo_, you should go rest."

"But-"

"Sis, come on," Hoshi chided in gently, "The books say you're going to be going through lot of pain for the first month, then the next one is relatively easy. Might as well take it easy."  
"...Okay." Yukiko nodded and staggered to her feet. Amaimon stood up as well, "Do you want me to carry you?"

"He just wants an excuse to deflower her again." Kage whispered to Hoshi. The black-haired girl snorted, "Don't I know it!"  
Yukiko shook her head, "Thanks, honey. But really, I'll be fine." With that, she gave her Earth King a long, soft kiss on the lips and headed back to their room.

Fifteen minutes later, the cinnamon-blonde was fast asleep, hugging the pillow and sniffing Amaimon's piney scent.

She didn't have a dream, exactly. As a demon, she now had the subconscious ability to see things that had happened, were currently happening, or were in the near future. In this vision, she dreamed of her child smiling up at her.

It was a girl; a beautiful, demonic, perfect little girl.

She looked about six or seven, with Yukiko's light brown skin. The child had the straight, coal-black hair of Yukiko's father; in the vision, it was already reaching her mid-back. She looked like Yukiko's mother face-wise: an oval-shaped face, a slightly-upturned nose, and thin lips. The child had long, pointed ears and fangs, and she seemed to have inherited Hermia's slender frame. The thing that captivated Yukiko the most was the child's eyes: they were enormous and completely amber, with no whites and slit black pupils.

Yukiko opened her eyes with a smile on her face. She called out to Amaimon telepathically,_ Amai._

_Yes, darling? Are you alright?_

_I'm fine. I...had a vision._

_Oh?_

Of our child.

_Oh! Well...what was it like?_

_**She**, baby._

Yukiko grinned, _It's a girl_. She hesitated, _She has your mother's eyes._

The Earth Queen could feel Amaimon grinning widely.


	7. Chapter 6: Firey Father's Day

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! Just to reassure stephanie, no, I swear that there is NO affair in this story. Trust me, it'll all fit together later.  
**

**Hope you like!  
**

* * *

Chapter 6: Fiery Father's Day

Over the next couple of weeks, Yukiko, Hoshi, and Amaimon spent whole days together. While Yukiko progressively grew weaker, paler, and thinner, her chocolate-brown eyes still glowed with enough love and life to brighten Gehenna. When the cinnamon-blonde told her family about her vision, they were all pleased. Hoshi was so happy she accidentally set a chamber on fire.

Once the excitement faded, the trio continued to train together. While Hoshi received separate training with her father, she still loved seeing Amaimon's power in action. Besides, fire and earth were a very interesting combination indeed.

Yukiko had to take more and more breaks, but she always assured her mate and sister that she was alright. Despite her body's downfall in health, her powers were well under control now. With a snap of her fingers, the Earth Queen could create impenetrable shields made from the earth's mantle. Whenever she was particularly happy, flowers all around her bloomed and brightened in color. With a wave of her hand, trees sprung from the ground like sleeping giants.

Hoshi wasn't doing too badly either, thanks to all her training. Her signature fire-whips were twice as long and five times stronger than before. Just being _near_ one meant two-degree burns. Not only that, but Iblis had taught her quite a few tricks. Now, the Japanese teenager could increase an object's temperature by thought, cause/extinguish fires, and even breathe fire if she ate enough jalapeños.

By the eighteenth day, Yukiko was so thin the joints of her bones were visible and her eyes were rimmed black. Amaimon was very worried about her, but that faded somewhat when Yukiko accidentally created mud. The three ended up having a mud-ball fight and collapsing in the grass. Hoshi was laughing so hard her tears made stripes on her muddy face. "Holy crap!" She managed between chortles, "And I thought putting firecrackers in Amaimon's boxers was hilarious!"  
The Earth King stopped laughing for a moment, "What _about _my boxers?"

"Nothing!" The sister said simultaneously. Amaimon shrugged it off and wrapped an arm around his mate as Hoshi commented, "What a relief, it's actually possible to have fun here." She shook her head, her smile gone, "Dad wouldn't know fun if it hit him in the butt."

Yukiko frowned as she combed her hair with her fingers, "I thought you two were getting along well."

Hoshi shrugged, "I guess. But he doesn't feel like my father, you know? It's more like I'm living with a military officer. There's no closeness."

"I understand how you feel." Amaimon said sympathetically, "I feel the same towards my father."

Yukiko suddenly brightened, "What if we all did something for Father's Day?"

Hoshi blinked, "Whatcha talkin' about, Yuki?"

"I mean, Father's Day is tomorrow. What if you convinced your father to use his vessel and spend the day with you? I can do something with Satan." Yukiko explained. For some reason, Amaimon snorted. The cinnamon-blonde frowned at her husband, "Did I say something funny? What's up?"

"Nothing, it's just," Amaimon had trouble keeping a straight face, "What you just said would baffle most religions in the world."  
"Hmm..." Yukiko nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I guess so. Good thing no one here's religious."

* * *

The next morning, Hoshi walked in the living room of her father's tower to find Iblis reading. Suddenly, she felt awkward, but remembering the date, she swallowed her nervousness and called, "Father?" The Fire King looked up and met her dark brown eyes with his russet ones. Was that...softness in his eyes?

He cleared his throat and put down his book, "Yes, Hoshi?"

"Um, I was wondering," Hoshi fumbled with her orange shirt, "Since today's, you know, Father's Day, do you wanna, you know...do something? With me?"

Iblis arched his eyebrows, and for a minute, the Japanese girl felt that it'd been a terrible idea. Instead, he smiled, "Why not? What would you like to do?"  
"I don't know." Hoshi shrugged, "Today's _your _special day, isn't it?"

"Well, yes." Iblis chuckled, "Okay, then. I would've suggested more training, but you've been making good progress for a 16-year-old. I suppose a break would do us both well."

"Agreed," Hoshi found herself smiling, "Where to?"

Iblis grinned, "I know a very special place in Gehenna I think you'll enjoy."

Hoshi silently prayed that she wouldn't end up visiting volcanoes or fire-pits.

An hour later, the two were trudging through the rocky Gehenna hills. They walked in silence, until the black-haired girl wanted to scream just to fill the empty air. Instead, she found herself asking something she'd wondered for a long time, "Dad?"  
"Yes?"  
"How'd you meet my mom?"

Iblis was so surprised he almost stopped walking. For a moment, he was silent. Then, he answered slowly, "I met her about 18 years ago. I'd just gained a vessel in a man who'd tried to take his own life. I met your mother, Harumi, during a trip to Pompeii. She'd been a college student at the time."

"Mom? In Pompeii?" Hoshi laughed, "She doesn't even like Italian cheese! I can't believe she'd be caught dead in a place like Pompeii."  
"Oh, you'd be surprised. At that time, history fueled her as gas fuels fire." Iblis smiled, "You have many traits from her. The same dark brown eyes, the same round face, the same spiky hair...though hers was light brown rather than black."

"Thanks." Hoshi looked at her feet, "What happened between you two?"

Iblis sighed, "We fell in love. We dated for two whole years before I asked her to marry me, much like Amaimon did with Yukiko. She accepted, and soon, she became pregnant with you."

"Did she know about..." Hoshi gestured to his whole outfit, "You know."

"Me being a demon?" Iblis shook his head, "I have had lovers by the dozen, Hoshi, but your mother was the only one I truly loved. I was afraid knowing the truth about me would scare her off."

"So you didn't tell her?"

"No. Not until she'd lost 30 pounds and started eating raw liver." Iblis shuddered, "At that point, I had to tell her. She panicked, demanded a divorce, and went to abort you the next day."

Hoshi was clenching her fists so hard her knuckles were white, "So why am I still here?"

Iblis snickered, "I suppose you and Yukiko have been doing research on demon pregnancies?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Well, did you read about demonic fetuses yet?" Iblis asked as he ran a hand through his fiery red hair.

"Demonic fetuses grow a lot faster than human ones." Hoshi began, "And they subconsciously eat away at their mother's energy. They need raw meat and fresh blood to grow strong, and...and..." Hoshi's eyes widened. Iblis could tell his daughter had understood, "Yes. Demonic fetuses are so strong, aborting one is like cutting through steel."

"So she had me, and my whole life, she's made me feel like a burden." Hoshi was getting so upset, all the trees they passed exploded into flames, "She always told the teachers to keep a special eye on me. She never let me go near any other kid. She almost never took me out in public. I had to stay inside all day. Even on my birthday." She kicked a stone, sending it flying across the blood-red sky like a rocket, "I bet she was glad when I never came back. Her burden was relieved at last."

"Maybe. Maybe not." Iblis said, "People change, you know."

Hoshi sighed, "Whatever."

The two walked in silence for another fifty meters. Then, a screeching noise made the girl yelp and cover her ears. Iblis smiled and put his hands on his child's shoulders, "Look up."  
"What...?" Hoshi obeyed and yelped, louder this time.

A bird as large as a full-grown lion glided through the sky. It was as fiery-red as Iblis' hair, with a bright yellow beak and magnificent wings tipped with orange and black. With another shriek so similar to a human's, the bird caught fire like a firework and zoomed through the sky.

"Woah!" Hoshi took several steps back, "Am I the only one who finds that amazing?" When no one answered, she answered her own question, "I guess I am."

Iblis shrugged and walked towards the top of the hill, "I guess I'm just used to it. Now," He turned to his daughter with a bright smile, "Get ready for the sight of your life."

Hoshi's face brightened. She followed her father's gaze and clasped her hands over her mouth. The area in front of them consisted of dried, blackened lava. Hundred of fire-birds were making nests, looking after their eagle-sized eggs, or taking flight. It was the most incredible thing the Japanese girl had ever imagined of, much less seen.

"Please don't pass out." Iblis said, "It'd be such a pity."

Hoshi snorted and said, "This is just...wow."

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Iblis smiled at his daughter. Then, he turned to the sky full of bird. He emitted a weird croaking noise. Without looking away from the sky, he said to Hoshi, "Whatever shows up, don't look it in the eyes."  
"Fine by me." Hoshi studied her nails.

A moment later, she was knocked on her back from the wind. She looked up to see a huge fire-bird the color of a dying flame landing in front of her father. "Fiamma," He spoke, pulling out a treat. He waited a second before tossing it in the air. The fire-bird caught it and chewed loudly. "Good girl, Fiamma." Iblis stroked the bird's beak.

"Is...is this thing...your familiar?" Hoshi struggled to breathe.

"Has been for the past 200 years." Iblis smiled, "Would you like one?"

Hoshi's eyebrows shot up, "Me? With a familiar?"

"Why not? I'd say you're ready."

The Japanese girl thought a moment. Having a familiar didn't seem that bad. In fact, it could be an advantage. Finally, she nodded, "Okay. What do I need to do?"

"Do?" Iblis repeated, "Nothing, my dear girl! Just go get an egg and it's yours."

"That's it?" Hoshi asked, "What if Mama Bird tries to eat me?"

"That's the fun of it." Iblis said cheerfully.

"Super." Hoshi muttered.

* * *

"Ow. Ouch. Burn. Pain. Ow." Hoshi kept at the rhythm as she and her father entered the palace. The bright yellow fire-egg was in her arms, warm as the unborn bird swam.  
"Excellent work!" Iblis slapped his daughter gently on the back, "Who would've known that distracting the birds with racket would give you the time needed?"

"Anyone who's lived in the 21st century." Hoshi grinned, "I had a really great time today."

"Really?" Iblis asked, his russet eyes wide for acceptance. The girl nodded, "Absolutely."

The Fire King smiled so widely, he looked like a jack-o-lantern, "Well, I'm happy that you are happy."

For one moment, Hoshi wondered if it was possible to actually faint from joy.

When they entered the throne room, they found Satan and Yukiko laughing hysterically at Amaimon, who'd somehow tangled himself in Christmas lights. With his green hair and flickering rainbow lights, he looked like a humanized Christmas tree.

Hoshi cleared her throat. Yukiko turned with a welcoming smile, but it vanished when she saw Hoshi's burns. "Hosh, what the hell happened to you?" She demanded, rushing towards her sister.

"Don't worry, Yuki. I'm fine." Hoshi said calmly. Yukiko huffed, "Two-degree burns on your arms isn't _fine_, Hoshi. What've you been doing?"  
"Getting myself a familiar. You?"

Hearing this, Yukiko calmed down considerably and said, "Playing Truth or Dare with Father-sama."

Iblis eyed his half-brother desperately trying to free himself from the lights, "Why in Gehenna would Amaimon choose 'Dare'?"  
"Because Satan's question was embarrassing." Yukiko's cheeks turned bright red.

Hoshi smirked, "What, did he ask him something about your wedding night?"

"Close." The cinnamon-blonde twirled her hair with embarrassment, "He asked if Amaimon and I did a 69."

Iblis turned as red as his hair and developed a sudden interest in his gloves while Hoshi looked ready to vomit. Yukiko quickly changed the subject, "Wanna join in?"

"Sure."  
"No problem."

As they followed Yukiko in the throne room, Iblis asked, "Ah, hon?"

"Yeah?" Hoshi turned to her father.

"What _did_ you play on your iPod to distract the fire-birds? I'm curious." Iblis inquired.

Hoshi grinned slyly, "Everyone's worst nightmare: Justin Beiber."


	8. Chapter 7: Pain Returns

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! Now heads up: this chapter is more dramatic than the previous ones. It also takes place during and after Amaimon's first encounter with Rin.  
**

**Hope you like!  
**

* * *

Chapter 7: Pain Returns

"Very nice, Yukiko-sama!" Vulpes smiled as Yukiko rubbed her bulging belly. "The child is growing stronger every day, and you're doing a fine job keeping your energy up!"

"Thank you, sir." The cinnamon-blonde smiled, "When do you expect the child's going to be born?"

"Ah," Vulpes did the calculations in his head before answering, "Let's see. The egg was fertilized on August 6th, which was six weeks ago. So I would say you only have two weeks left."

Yukiko grinned, "I can hardly wait. Thank Go-I mean, Gehenna that demon pregnancy is shorter than humans'. Otherwise, I'd be the very definition of the word 'anxious'."

Vulpes chuckled, "Well, so far, you're doing great. But remember, your Majesty: you're in a delicate state right now, so try to avoid getting overly upset or physically hurt."

"No problem." Yukiko nodded, "I'd never do something that puts my girl in danger." She smiled and stroked her belly. Vulpes hesitated before asking, "If I'm not stepping out of line, your Highness, why do you care so much about your child's health? I mean, I've helped thousands of female demons through their pregnancies, and they've never been as careful as you."

"Well..." Yukiko twirled the jasper ring on her finger, "My mother abandoned me when I was seven."

"...Oh. I'm very sorry."

"It's alright." Yukiko's tone indicated the opposite, "So I guess I just want to protect my daughter from going through the same pain I went through."

Vulpes smiled softly, "Well, I'm sure you'll make an excellent mother."

"Thank you." Yukiko nodded. With that, she left the room.

When she reached her and Amaimon's room, she was surprised to find that her husband wasn't there. _Oh, well,_ she thought, _He's the Earth King, for crying out loud. I can't expect him to wait for me hand in foot._

With that thought in mind, Yukiko took a long shower, wiping every spot of dirt from her hair and skin. The baby liked the warm water; if she didn't know any better, the Earth Queen would've said the baby was laughing.

When she emerged wearing an extra-large black sweatshirt and gray skirt, she was greeted by a note on the bed. Smiling a little, Yukiko held up her hand. The note flew into her palm. She read:

_My dearest Yukiko,_

_Aniue said that I can play with Rin today. I'm going to see what he can do. Don' worry, I'll go easy on him. Please tell me if anything happens. I will be back before nightfall. _

_Forever yours,_

_Amaimon_

Yukiko sighed and rolled her eyes. She really**_ did_ **hope Amaimon went easy on their new little brother. She'd seen him in action. Despite her strong love and dedication to him, Yukiko couldn't deny she actually feared him when he went into fighting mode. She didn't want either of them to end up in the emergency room.

Suddenly, she noticed a folder sitting on the bookshelf. With an arched brow, she plucked if off the shelf and examined opened it to a random page. A smile traced her lips.

The picture showed her and Amaimon on their wedding day. In the picture, Amaimon had Yukiko on his shoulder, holding her there with one hand. The other was filled with candy, halfway to his open mouth. Yukiko chuckled at the memory and turned the pages. Each page contained several photographs of Amaimon, herself, and some included Hoshi or one of the other demon princes. By the last page, the Earth Queen counted 68 pictures.

She didn't realize she'd been crying with joy until one splattered on the page. Yukiko was suddenly struck with inspiration. She snapped her fingers, and a small demon servant ran inside. He bowed deeply, "What do you wish for, your Highness?"

Yukiko asked politely, "Um, may I have some tape, please?"

"Yes, Mistress." The demon disappeared, then reappeared before she could count to 10. He handed her a roll of black tape as thick as a rock. "Thank you." Yukiko nodded courteously before turning her attention to the photo album.

An hour and a half later, Amaimon strolled in the bedroom. When he saw the walls, his huge eyes got even larger. Every photo he'd so-carefully taken and placed in an album was taped in plain view. Yukiko had her back to him, taping the one of Mephisto covered in oatmeal and yelling at the camera. A grin appeared on the Earth King's face. He soundlessly crept up on Yukiko, then covered her eyes with his claws.

Yukiko smiled, "Hello, honey."

"Hello, my flower." Amaimon released his mate, who turned to smile at him, "How'd Rin fight? Or more importantly, is he still alive?"

"Of course he is!" Amaimon protested, "Why, do you think I'd pound him into oblivion or something?"

"Yes." Yukiko responded bluntly.

"Ah," Amaimon smiled, "You know me too well."

"That I do." Yukiko gave him a soft peck on the lips before putting her hands on her hips, "Why didn't you tell me you were making an album?"  
"I wanted it to be a surprise!" Amaimon replied, "Aniue told me humans are suckers for stuff like that, so I'd planned to make an album with a year's worth of memories to give to you."

Yukiko's heart was pounding so hard, she was sure he could hear it. She couldn't believe he'd gone through all that work. For perhaps the millionth time, she thanked whatever fate had made her meet him. She rubbed her arm and said honestly, "I really don't deserve you, Amai."

"What? Yes you do!" Amaimon cupped her cheeks, "We deserve each other. Kage said so."

Yukiko blinked, then smiled. She couldn't believe Kage, who'd seemed somewhat distant, had said something so nice. Crumpling up her thoughts and throwing them away, she gave him another kiss, longer this time. Amaimon responded, dipping his head. When he pulled away, the Earth King smirked at his wife's crimson face. He spoke, "I was wondering...Vulpes told me that you're two weeks away."

"Yep." Yukiko's smile lit up the whole smile; her claws went to her belly, "Isn't it wonderful?"

"It is." Amaimon stroked his wife's belly, "I can honestly say...I've never been happier."

Yukiko beamed as her husband continued, "I thought, to celebrate, you'd like to go out in Assiah."

The Earth Queen thought a moment before nodding, "Sure. After all, the only time we went out on a date was to Jane's trial. Not exactly romantic."  
"No." Amaimon agreed, "Aniue knows a lot of great restaurants. Would you like to go?"

"Happily." Yukiko grinned, "I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate."

"Yay!" Amaimon yelled in joy like a child, and a branch crashed in through the window.

* * *

"She's ten minutes late!"  
"So?"  
"WHY is she ten minutes late?" Amaimon screeched, his green-blue eyes wild.

Astaroth sighed in exasperation and looked up from _Reader's Digest_, "You know how women are, bro. They gotta work on their hair, and their perfume, and their make-up..."

"How do you know about all this?" The Earth King asked, his eyebrow arching, "You haven't had a girlfriend since the French Revolution!"  
"Yeah." Astaroth groaned and rubbed his cheekbone, "Who'd think a purse filled with candies could pack such a wallop?"

Amaimon was saved from answering when someone knocked on the door. Both demons turned around and had to remind themselves to breathe.

Yukiko was dressed in her normal clothes, but she still looked stunning. She wore a white blouse four sizes too large; the contrast made her skin look darker. For the first time, Amaimon saw her wearing a skirt; it was black as pitch and fell just above her stitched knees. The same upside-down cross was around her neck, and her hair was held back with a bandanna. She looked simple, yet elegant.

Yukiko shifted uncomfortably under their gazes and cleared her throat, "Ready to go, honey?"

"Of course, my love." Amaimon struggled to keep his face its usual pallid color and held his arm out. Yukiko took it, smiling so warmly Astaroth wondered if she was Iblis' child, too. He put on a maniacal grin, "You crazy kids! Have fun!"

* * *

In fact, they did. Amaimon and Yukiko were relieved that they could be spouses _and_ best friends. Much to Amaimon's insistence, the two made their first stop at a video-game arcade. The Earth King did his best to win every single forsaken game. Yukiko only shook her head with amusement as her husband completed the final and most challenging one: a holographic game that involved the guitar. When the largest score yet appeared on the screen, the whole room exploded into cheers.

Yukiko smiled at the green-haired demon as he hopped down from the platform. She handed him a raspberry slushy and pecked him in the cheek, "Great job, babe."  
"I'm glad you think so." Amaimon winked and pulled out something from his back, "Because winners get awards."

Yukiko had to suppress a squeak of joy. In Amaimon's gloved hand was a Spyro stuffed toy. "Oh my...I love Spyro! Thank you, Amaimon!" Yukiko was so ecstatic, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him full on the lips. Amaimon's kneecaps turned to Jell-o as both their stomachs growled.

Yukiko giggled, "Let's go. I'm famished."

"Same here." Amaimon took her hand and led her to the exit. One guy tapped him in the shoulder. The Earth King looked at a boy, puzzled. But the kid was staring at Yukiko like she was made of gold, "Holy shit, dude. Is this your girlfriend?"  
"Mate." Amaimon correctly stiffly.

"Holy shit." The boy repeated, "If my hands weren't all covered in popcorn salt and soda, I would shake your hand." Yukiko's cheeks were crimson with embarrassment, but she refused to look at the boy and tugged at Amaimon, "Come on."  
Amaimon gladly complied.

"No, wait." The boy called, "You must teach me! How? HOW?" A second later, a chunk of concrete fell on his head. Amaimon looked at the cinnamon-blonde in surprise, "Yuki!"

"What? He was making me angry!" Yukiko said with half-seriousness, half-joke. Both of them chuckled, but when Yukiko looked ahead, she stopped dead in her tracks. Three things happened at once: her already-paling skin turned almost gray, her eyes widened, and her grip on his hand loosened.

"What is it?" Amaimon tried to sound steady despite his alarm. Yukiko didn't answer; she just kept staring ahead. The Earth King followed her gaze and frowned.

Standing in front of the local Tokyo cinema was a huge group of people. Many were taking pictures, so Amaimon recognized them as paparazzi. A couple stood in the center of it, waving and blowing kisses. One was a dark-skinned man dressed in simple black clothes. The other was a tall, busty woman with waist-long locks the color of wheat and fair skin. Her full red lips were plastered in a bright smile, but her pale green eyes were empty and blank. She wore a provocative dress that showed off her long legs, cleavage, and curves.

They were different, but something connected them to each other. Something in the curly hair, the heart-shaped face, the hourglass body.

Amaimon whispered, "Is that...?"

"Yes." Yukiko's voice was as croaky as a frog's, "That's my mother. The one who left me to die."


	9. Chapter 8: Scars

**Thanks for the reviews, guys!  
**

* * *

Chapter 8: Scars

"Hey, Yuki!" Hoshi smiled brightly as the couple entered the palace. Yukiko, who'd been staring at her boots, bolted up the stairs without a word. "Hey!" Astaroth protested, then turned to a gloomy-faced Earth King, "What did you do?"

"Me?" Amaimon actually sounded offended, "I did nothing. We happened to come across Yukiko's mother."

"_WHAT?_" Hoshi screamed, making the windows crack, "Where is she? I'll make her cry!"

"She was in front of a cinema with a chocolate-faced man." Amaimon reported. Hoshi arched a brow and said, "She'd better have not said anything to Yukiko."

"She didn't." Amaimon shook his head, "Yukiko confirmed who she was to me, then ran off."

"Oh, God," Hoshi rubbed her temples, "Poor Yuki. She's probably crying her eyes out."

Hearing this, Amaimon straightened, "I'll go talk to her." He started towards the stairs, but Hoshi called, "Broccoli head."  
He turned back to her. She flicked some black, crimson-tipped hair from her eyes, "Be careful, okay? Yukiko's very sensitive about her mother. Whatever you say could be taken the wrong way."  
Amaimon nodded and half-walked, half-ran up the stairs.

He heard his mate before he saw her. Yukiko was curled up on the bed wearing her undergarments and undershirt, her face buried in her pillow. Her shirt and skirt lay on the floor. The mirror in front of the bed was shattered. Amaimon tentatively made his way towards her, "Yukiko?"

"Go away!" Yukiko's scream was muffled from the pillow.

He didn't. Instead, he took a step towards her, "Yu..."

"JUST LEAVE!" Yukiko roared at him, "I don't want you to see me like this!" Then, she wailed in her pillow, her shoulders shaking furiously.

Amaimon stood there in shock. Yukiko had never raised her voice with him. She might've sounded angry, but her body language spoke to differ. She was crushed, bordering on hysteria from seeing the woman she'd hoped never to see again. For a second, the Earth King remembered being in a situation very similar to this. Twice. On both occasions, he'd felt like he'd hit rock bottom, and in both cases, Yukiko had been there to help him recover. What kind of a mate would he be if he didn't comfort her the one time she needed it?

Instead of heading towards the door, Amaimon seated himself on the bed and put a claw on her shoulder. Amazingly enough, Yukiko's sobs subsided a little. The green-haired boy allowed himself a small smile of victory and stroked her shoulder. After another ten minutes, the cinnamon-blonde finally stopped crying and looked at her husband, "Amai, I'm sorry." She wiped her eyes, "I just...when I see _**that woman**_, I just..." She sighed and hid her face in her hands.

Amaimon took her hands away from her face, "There's no need for you to feel any pain." He scooted closer to her and asked, "Do you want me to kill her?"  
Yukiko snorted and locked their fingers together, "She's not worth your time or skills. I just want to forget it." She stroked her belly, "Please."

Amaimon caressed her womb, trying to get over his wave of disappointment. After a long moment, he nodded, "If that's what you want, I'll restrain myself."  
Yukiko hugged him tightly, and the Earth King knew he'd done the right thing. He hugged her back. The cinnamon-blonde wiped her eyes again and forced a smile, "I-I'm better now. Really."

* * *

She might've been alright for the rest of the evening and the morning following, but she definitely wasn't better when she visited Mephisto's office after lunch.

Yukiko's mother was standing in front of Mephisto, working her charm as always. She was smiling brightly and saying, "...So, I'm sure you understand why I want to reconcile with my child."  
"Of course." Mephisto purred, "I'll send for her right away."

Yukiko cleared her throat.

Josephina turned those pale green eyes on her. The cinnamon-blonde saw false affection spread across her mother's face. "Hello, darling." The woman smiled.

Yukiko spat at her mother's feet before turning on her heel. "Hey!" Josephina called.

A minute later, the girl felt fingers clamp around her arm, "Yukiko-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Yukiko yanked her arm away as her cold voice echoed through the halls. Josephina recoiled, her eyes wide. Yukiko smirked and put some more distance between them, "What business does the **_modelling_ **world have here? And why send Josephina Kyla, the dirtiest of their dirty little scum?" She spat the word 'modelling' and her mother's name like they were venomous.

Josephina sighed, "I get the feeling you're angry with me."

"Whatever gave you that impression?" Yukiko's voice was dripping with sarcasm, "Why on earth would I hold a grudge against a famous Swedish model who married my father for his fortune, spent it all on furs and jewels, and left me to the mercy of his murderer?"

"You don't understand!" Josephina wailed, "I was terrified! I wasn't thinking!"

"What about afterwards, Mother?" Yukiko retorted, "What about all those times I had to sleep in alleys and steal and get injured? Where were you then?"

Josephina opened her mouth, then closed it.

Yukiko nodded, bitterly satisfied, "You couldn't care less about me. I don't know why you're suddenly interested in me, or how you know about Mep-I mean, Johannes, but you abandoned me when I needed you the most. And deep down, I think you were _glad_. Relieved to dump me off somewhere while you went off to enjoy the Bundō fortune."

"No." Josephina shook her head, "No. You're my daughter and I love you. I've come to take you back home with me. I sold the house we lived in before, did you know that? The memories made me almost lose my mind. I live on the coast now. I even set up a room for you," She hesitated, "And the baby."

"I don't care." Yukiko hissed, her hands flying to her belly, "You'll never meet this child. She'll never even know you exist." With that, she turned around and marched back the way she'd come. Josephina sighed in exasperation and grabbed her daughter's arm. When Yukiko grunted and pulled against her grip, the long glove she was wearing slid down.

Josephina gasped. Yukiko's light brown arm was horribly scarred. Long, stitched marks encircled her thumb, knuckles, wrist, and twice on her triceps. Her forearm was halved with an especially nasty scar, giving Josephina the impression that her daughter's whole arm had been amputated.

A sick, cruel smile traced the cinnamon-blonde's lips. She yanked off her other glove, then pulled up her trouser legs. Josephina's pale face turned green at the sight of the horribly-scarred flesh. "Yes," Yukiko hissed, "Take a good long look! Scars made by _you_!" Her grin vanished. A heartbroken expression took its place, "I will never forgive you."

With that, she ran off, covering her face with her scarred hands to stop the tears.


	10. Chapter 9: Punishment

**Thanks for the reviews, guys!  
**

* * *

Chapter 9: Punishment

"Yukiko! Are you alright?" Hoshi demanded, her hands meeting her sister's cheeks. Yukiko's chocolate-brown eyes were still pink and puffy, but she responded, "Y-yeah."

Hoshi wasn't convinced even in the slightest. She wrapped her arm around Yukiko's shoulders, "Come on, girl. I'll make you hot chocolate with M&M's."  
Yukiko smiled weakly, "My favorite." She did feel better, no matter how difficult it was to see it. Who needed Josephina? Yukiko had a family; a _**real** _family that cared about her and made her feel safe and loved.

Hoshi, feeling slightly more confident, led her sister to the parking lot-sized kitchen. Yukiko seated herself on one of the stools while her sister dumped chunks of chocolate in a mug. Then, she poured milk inside and set it to heat in the microwave. "So," She began, "What happened, exactly?"

Yukiko chuckled bitterly, "Apparently, after nine bloody years, Josephina decided to show up and make everything all better. She said she had prepared a room for me and my daughter in her new mansion."

Hoshi made a gagging sound, "Pathetic. She left you for dead when you were just a little kid and she expects you to run into her arms?" She hesitated, "You never did tell me about your family."

Yukiko's hands clenched, "Satan, Amaimon, you, and the seven demon princes are my family now."

Hoshi smirked, "That's not what I meant."

The cinnamon-blonde sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair. Hoshi took out the steaming cup and dropped in a handful of M&M's. Yukiko began, "My parents met on one of those round-the-world cruises. I really don't know what my father ever saw in**_ her_**." She wiped her eyes and gratefully accepted the cup, "I guess it's because of her exotic features: green eyes, blonde hair, and so on."

She shook her head, "Anyway, over the six-month cruise, they fell in love, and when it was time to go, my dad proposed to her. Josephina said yes and threw away her future to be with a rich Japanese man.

"Shortly after I was born, Josephina was spotted by a journalist, who offered her a place in the modelling career." Yukiko sipped the hot, sweet, frothy drink before resuming, "She always wanted a place under the spotlight, so she accepted and modeled day and night. From what I remember, I had about..." Yukiko counted on her fingers, "Nine nannies in total."

"Ye gods." Hoshi plucked a pack of crisps from the shelf and started eating. Yukiko nodded and took another long drink, "I could tell she saw me as an inconvenience. How many mother models get on the front page? Few." She rolled her eyes, "She was around 25 when she had me. For a while, she couldn't model, what with her figure and all." Her hands were clenched so tightly her knuckles were white, "Dad told me something I'll never forget."

"What?" Hoshi frowned.

"He told me that, when I was born, my mom hired some lady to feed me milk because she didn't want her breasts to be ruined." Yukiko wiped her eyes, "She never cared about me. I still can't believe we even carry the same genes."

Amaimon, who'd been on his way to get some apple juice, stopped when he heard his mate's voice.

"In fact, sis, I did some investigating," Hoshi spoke nervously, "Why she wanted to meet up with you, that is."

"Tell me, please." Yukiko requested politely.

Hoshi sighed, "You won't like it." She snapped her fingers, and a small demon made of fire appeared. It bowed deeply, "What can I do for you, Mistresses?"  
"Get me yesterday's newspaper, please." Hoshi commanded firmly. The demon nodded and vanished. It materialized a minute later and held out the rolled-up newspaper. Hoshi took it, "Thanks."  
"Of course, Mistress." With another polite bow to both of them, the demon disappeared.

Hoshi unrolled the newspaper and held it out for Yukiko to see. The cinnamon-blonde took the newspaper, her insides turning to ice.

The headline read: **PRINCIPAL FAUST GETS A SISTER-IN-LAW!**

Below, there was a photograph of Mephisto, Amaimon, and Yukiko from just a couple of days ago. It'd been when Amaimon had taken her along for one of the daily visits he paid to Mephisto. In the photo, Mephisto was scolding Amaimon about something while Yukiko had her hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down.

The wedding rings on her and Amaimon's fingers were glinting in the sunlight.

All the pieces came together. Outside, the trees were growing and bursting with premature fruit. Yukiko literally trembled with rage. Then, she crumpled the newspaper and threw it aside. "That bitch!" She cried, her voice cracking, "She wanted to reconcile with me to look good to the press!" She burst into horrible, heartbroken sobs. Hoshi ran to her side, hugging her close.

"I-I should've figured it out! No wonder she's pretending to give a fuck about me! It would benefit a model to be related to one of the richest, most respected headmasters in the East!" Yukiko cried as Hoshi stroked her hair and wiped her cheeks the best she could.

In the shadows, Amaimon was shaking with fury. That woman had made Yukiko more heartbroken than he'd ever seen her. She'd played with her feelings, brought all those horrible memories back to the surface, and reminded Yukiko of her flawed, rag doll-like skin for her own benefit.

Amaimon had rarely been disgusted more. With a silent snarl, he ran back the way he'd come.

* * *

Josephina removed the last trace of her make-up before changing in Prada silk pajamas. Making sure that she'd applied anti-aging cream, she headed for the bedroom. Sighing, she curled up in the large bed and turned out the light.

In the dark, she pondered over the day's events. What had Yukiko done to end up so horribly deformed? And how could she get married and with child? Josephina knew by now that looks were everything. If you're not pleasing to the eye, the chance of you getting a man is close to zero.

Oh, well. The girl had inherited her father's fire. She'd inherited lots of things from him, in fact: Asian facial features, chocolate-brown eyes, and light brown skin. Josephina almost missed Neko, but he was a little boring. He was your typical, hopeless romantic who swooned at the first girl that batted her eyelashes at him. Okay, maybe he hadn't deserved the death he got, but to be honest, Josephina didn't miss him that much.

She was a little upset, though, that she hadn't managed to win Yukiko over. Josephina could only imagine the public's opinion of her rise if it became known that she was related to well-respected Johannes Faust V. It would win her a lot more photo shoots, and a deeper image to the people's eye. Having a daughter who'd somehow impressed Faust's brother and married him was no light thing.

She was brought back to reality when a floorboard creaked. She frowned and sat up. Josephina could've sworn she saw something move too close to her bed, "Who's there?"

A pair of huge, green, long-nailed claws clamped over her eyes. Josephina sat there with wide, frightened eyes, afraid to make one misstep. The intruder chuckled, then released her face.

The creature looking at her was so horrible, Josephina's mind shattered like glass.

* * *

"Can't distinguish reality from illusion." A fat, bearded doctor sighed as he and the nurse eyed the figure in the corner. It used to be a famous Swedish model, but now, it was just another dangerous lunatic. Her glorious, wheat-colored hair had been shaved off, and she was wearing a straightjacket.

"Apparently, some kind of monster attacked her." The nurse chimed in, "That's what she said before breaking down. But we investigated the room and her body for injuries or proof to assist to her story. Nothing."

"Humiliation, I say!" The doctor said, "You were on the brink of becoming the most famous model of the 21st century, and here you are like an insane wreck. Such a waste."

The blonde groaned and foggily looked at them, "That thing...it was him. The spike-haired boy from the picture."

The nurse looked at the doctor, "Doctor, she's going about it again. Should we medicate her?"

"No, no. She's already had three helpings of morphine in the last hour. It would be harmful to do more." The doctor put his hand on the doorknob, "We'll see to curing her tomorrow. Goodnight, Josephina!"

With that, he closed the door, leaving Josephina in a white room.


	11. Chapter 10: Suzume

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! This chapter is inspired by an old TV show I loved as a child. Hope u like!  
**

* * *

Chapter 10: Suzume

Amaimon was relieved that Yukiko wasn't angry. At first, she'd scolded him for showing her mother his true appearance, sending her mind in shambles. But in the end, the Earth Queen decided it was no less than what Josephina deserved. For perhaps the billionth time, the green-haired boy counted himself lucky for having a mate like Yukiko.

The last week and a half flew by. Yukiko found it much more difficult to keep up her strength, so she spent the days sleeping, singing softly to the child, and drinking blood. At first, she'd refused, but Vulpes had insisted that it was the only way to keep up her strength. Weirdly enough, the sanguine fluid tasted scrumptious. She drained two liters and still felt thirsty afterwards. Later, Mephisto explained that since it was in a demon's nature to kill at least sometimes, blood had become delicious to any demon's taste-buds, even those who hadn't killed yet. It was a bit like a newborn's taste for milk.

"Vampires," The purple-haired demon cackled, "We really _should_ consider suing them."

Three days before the expected date, Yukiko awoke in the middle of the night with a sharp cry. Amaimon bolted up, "Yuki?"  
"Amai," Yukiko croaked, "It's coming."  
The Earth King didn't need telling twice. He leaped off the bed and ran a rusty bell. Almost instantly, Astaroth and Egyn rushed in, their eyes wide.

"Is it...?"  
"Yes." Amaimon answered as he helped Yukiko out of bed.

"Oh, no!" Astaroth face-palmed, "That's bad. That's very bad."

"Why?" Amaimon and Yukiko demanded simultaneously.

"Vulpes isn't here." Egyn replied nervously, "Since we weren't expecting an early labor, we let him take a week off."

"You WHAT?" Yukiko cried. She opened her mouth to scold her brothers-in-law, then slapped a claw over her mouth and rushed to the window. She vomited, her entire body heaving. "Okay, okay!" Egyn was bordering on hysterical, "We'll just have to take her to Assiah. A hospital will surely be open."

"What?" Yukiko turned her pale face to Egyn, "Are you insane? This isn't a normal birth! What'll we tell them?"

"Would you rather call in an amateur?" Astaroth snapped, his claws on his hips. Yukiko sighed in exasperation and held out her hand. Her leaf-green coat flew into her palm. She slipped it on, "Alright, fine! Let's just hurry!"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Yukiko was lying on a gurney. Hoshi and Kuri were trying to calm her down while Shura was rushing to the line.

A guy stood in front of her. Shura wondered if she should wait, then Yukiko emitted her seventh yelp of pain. Fueled by panic, she tapped the guy on the shoulder, "Er, 'scuse me-"  
"I was here first!" The man snapped before turning back ahead.

"I know, but my daughter needs med-icle attention-"

"Look, lady!" The man whirled around, "I hit my head, and I'm havin' trouble remembering things!" In fact, it was impossible to miss the huge white bandage on his greasy temple. Shura felt a light bulb come to life in her head, "Oh! Well, den, ya fer-got dat da doctor already saw ya!"

The man blinked, "...He did?"  
Shura nodded, smiling convincingly.

"Oh." The man shrugged, "Sorry, lady. My bad." He left; Shura didn't hesitate to reach the front desk, "Okay, hurry it up, ya hear? My baby's in pain." She called over her shoulder, "Right, Yuki?"

"Pain, yes!" Yukiko managed through gritted teeth. Kuri gently stroked her hair.

The nurse eyed Shura's outfit distastefully before saying flatly, "I need your health insurance card."  
Shura literally froze. She blinked and flicked some dark red hair from her lilac eyes, "Health insurance?"

"Yes." The nurse looked at her like she was an idiot, "Who do we contact for payment?"

"...Chelsea Clinton." Shura answered hopelessly.

The nurse sighed, "I'm sorry, but I need some kind of authorization."

Shura snapped. She slammed her hands on the desk, "Look, Miss Thing! If ya don't 'elp dis girl right now, yer gonna authorize me ta get ugly, an' I am **_not_ **pretty when I get ugly. Right, Yuki?"

"Ugly, no!" Yukiko muttered, her hands clutching her womb.

Suddenly, Mephisto burst into the room. Hoshi, Kuri, Amaimon, and Astaroth took one look at him and were paralyzed with laughter. The principal's hair looked like an eggplant exploded and was glued to his head, and he was wearing a ridiculous pink robe decorated with chibi girls and Donald Duck slippers that 'quacked' with every step he took.

"Shura!" He reached the front desk, "I got here as soon as I got your message. What is happening?"

The redhead jerked her thumb at the nurse, "Nurse Kavorky in 'ere won't let Yukiko in." The nurse glared at Shura while Mephisto pulled out a card, "Here. You can use my health card."

The nurse smiled, "Thank you, sir." She took the card and said, "The doctor will see her in a moment."

Shura thanked Mephisto with a pat in the shoulder. Then, the two headed towards Yukiko, who was fighting to keep her face free of pain. Amaimon was stroking her fingers, and Yukiko was whispering reassurances to him. Astaroth, who'd accidentally made the flowers nearby wilt, was getting on his feet. "Ehm," He ran a hand through his mousy hair, "I think I'd better wait outside."

"Nonsense, Astaroth!" Mephisto said brightly, "Just stay away from plants."

"Easy for you to say." Astaroth muttered.

"Okay...Yukiko Bundō?" An African-American doctor called, consulting his clipboard.

"Here!" Everyone called. The man noticed the group and walked towards the cinnamon-blonde, who nodded to confirm. He took one look at her belly and searched her face, "Premature birth?"  
"Yep." Yukiko nodded.

"Alright." The doctor pulled out a soggy cloth and held it close to Yukiko's face, "This will put you to sleep for several hours. I promise you won't feel a thing." Without waiting for an answer, he shoved it over the girl's nose and mouth. Yukiko's hands searched for her mate's, "Amai?"

"I'm right here." Amaimon piped up, clutching her hand with one claw and stroking her hair with the other. Yukiko's eyes rolled back, and her head dropped. "Right," The doctor pushed the gurney towards the doors, "You can collect her in a few hours!"

And then, they were gone.

* * *

Amaimon was pacing so much, it was amazing the floor hadn't given away yet. Mephisto, who was calmly drinking tea, said, "Relax, little brother. Everything will be fine."

"I hope so, Aniue." Amaimon chewed on his thumbnail. Hoshi pulled out one of her headphones and said, "Come on, how hopeless can they be?"  
"Right." Kuri flipped some light brown hair over her shoulder, "It's only been an hour and a half."

"Speak for yourself!" Astaroth chimed in, "I'm bored out of my mind here! Would it kill these people to put some decent reading material here?"

Before anyone could answer, a man dressed in green surgical gowns emerged from the doors. Shura yelped and clutched his arm, "I don't care how bad it is, doc! Tell me da worst!"

"Girl, the toilet bowl overflowed!" The guy grimaced, then walked away. The back of his shirt clearly read, 'JANITOR'. Amaimon and Hoshi shared a smirk while Shura's face turned as red as her hair.

The same doctor from before stepped in holding a crimson-stained towel. At the sight of it, Amaimon wanted to scratch the guy's eyes out.

"Well?" He snapped.

The doctor grinned, "It's a girl."

* * *

Amaimon's lips met Yukiko's gentler than ever before. The girl had just woken up and was resting in bed. The doctor had been true to his word; she hadn't felt anything.

"Well," She smirked, gesturing to the sewn cut on her belly, "There's another one to the collection."

A young nurse stepped in holding a pink bundle. She stopped when she saw Amaimon's odd hairstyle, but shook it off and smiled softly. "Here you go," She smiled, carefully placing the sleeping baby in Yukiko's scarred arms. The cinnamon-blonde gasped at the child, "She's perfect."

Indeed, she was. She had Yukiko's milk-chocolate skin, completely unblemished and un-scarred. Amaimon could see facial similarities to Josephina: the same slightly-upturned nose, the same oval face, and familiar large eyes. Onyx hair spiked in every direction like a porcupine's. Her mouth was identical to his: thin-lipped, with a small fang poking out.  
Amaimon actually felt tears of joy spring in his eyes. He wiped them away as quickly as he could. "Yes, isn't she?" The nurse nodded, "She weighs 6 pounds and 6 ounces."

Yukiko chuckled and stroked the child's face. Suddenly, the baby gurgled. Before everyone's eyes, the newborn opened her huge eyes. They were, as Yukiko predicted, completely amber with no whites and slit black pupils. The nurse's smiled evaporated, "Wh..." She took several steps away, "What's wrong with her _eyes?_"

Amaimon grinned and nodded, "She has my mother's eyes."

The nurse gaped at him, then cleared her throat, "Right, well, um, I-I'll be going." She scampered out of the room. Yukiko rolled her eyes and turned to her mate, "So, what do you wanna name her?"  
"Huh?"  
"Well, you know," Yukiko caressed the child's cheek, "I surprised you with the infant. It only seems fair that you surprise me with her name."

"...Okay." The Earth King turned to (he internally smiled at this realization) his daughter. She made high-pitched chirps and looked around with the most innocent pair of eyes. Something about her appearance and sounds reminded him of a small bird he came across all the time. What was it called again...?

He grinned, "Suzume. It means 'little brown sparrow'."

Yukiko slowly smiled. It was like watching the moon peek from behind a cloud. She snuggled in his side, "I love it." The cinnamon-blonde looked at the baby, "Suzume it is."


	12. Chapter 11: Fight in the Woods

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! Hope u like! Takes place before and during the battle of episode 15.  
**

* * *

Chapter 11: Fight in the Woods

Babies often change as they grow. Yukiko, for example, had had hazel eyes at birth; they'd darkened to chocolate-brown a month or so afterward.

Suzume proved to be a similar case after a mere two weeks after she was born; while her hair remained black, it had natural dark green highlights clearly inherited from her father. Her eyes changed slightly, too: they stayed amber and catlike, but like her father, they became way too large for her face. She even got a cleft chin like Astaroth.

Either way, she was welcomed in Gehenna. Iblis made her a tiara of glowing hot embers that, gratefully, didn't burn her. Yukiko and Hoshi spent their days playing with Suzume and teacher her how to walk and talk. Mephisto tried to teach her how to sip tea, but when she got bored and smashed her teacup, he surrendered. Amazingly enough, even Satan spent some time with his granddaughter. Whenever Yukiko brought the child to the throne room, Satan always gave her the tiniest of smiles and held the kid for a couple of minutes. Once, he'd even said, "Once she grows up, I'll teach her howtta fuckin' fight!" Yukiko had gasped and clasped her claws over Suzume's pointed ears, "Father-sama, please!"  
"Eh." He shrugged, "She's a demon. Whatever fucking innocence she has, it'll be gone before ya fucking know it."

Amaimon was incredibly happy; happier than he'd been in ages. He, the great Earth King, the 'monster' no one could ever get close to, had found a mate and an heir in one year alone. Still, he found that a newborn required its mother's undivided attention. While Yukiko kissed and hugged him every chance she got, she spent all of her time with Suzume. It made the green-haired boy feel...weird. Like he was missing an arm or a leg.

He voiced his thoughts one day in Mephisto's office, "It's like she thinks Suzume will drop dead if she doesn't watch her all the time!"  
"Well, little brother," Mephisto explained, "Women have that maternal instinct. Even if they find a child who's not theirs, it is rare to find a woman who leaves a child, especially if it cries. Males don't have that instinct."

"But Yukiko's mother abandoned her," Amaimon pointed out, "And Hoshi's mother kicked her out."

"Those are rare cases in which the woman doesn't really_ want _a child." Mephisto answered, "But Yukiko does. She wants to have a family with you." He smirked, "What'd you do, give her a love potion?"

"No," Amaimon played with his vest with a grin, "It's my irresistible charm."

"Of course," Mephisto rolled his eyes, "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that the exorcist cram school is planning a field trip tomorrow. Rin'll be there."

Amaimon brightened, "Can I play with him, Aniue? Please?"

Mephisto nodded, "Of course. But remember," His face darkened, "If you try to kill anyone, I will kill you personally."  
Amaimon nodded, "Yes. Where are you going?"

"In the woods."

"Yay!" Amaimon grinned, "Let's see if Rin got any stronger!" He started chewing his thumbnail in thought, "Still, I'm going to need bait."

* * *

The next evening, Yukiko practically screamed the house down. She grabbed Mephisto by the coat, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HE WENT TO FIGHT RIN AGAIN?"

Mephisto calmly pried the Earth Queen's claws from his coat, "I mean what I said. Your husband and my brother went to challenge our youngest brother for the second time."

"Are you completely mad?" Yukiko demanded, "It's been nearly a month and a half since Amaimon last saw him! He'll definitely be stronger by now! Shura told me he's been training."

"Well, you know how Amaimon is," Mephisto said lightly, "He loves his games almost as much as he loves you."

Yukiko blinked, then blushed deep red. She cleared her throat and straightened her shirt, "Well, whatever the case, we're personally going there." She pulled out her cellphone and dialed in a number, "Hoshi? Hey, sorry, but would you mind babysitting Suzume for the night?" Yukiko paused as Hoshi spoke. She rolled her eyes, "Amaimon's being his usual childlike self."  
Another pause, "Okay, bye."  
She hung up and glared at Mephisto, "What were you thinking, letting him fight Rin? Do you realize one of them's gonna get hurt?"  
"Our regeneration is five times faster than humans'. I think they'll be fine." Mephisto said as he sipped his tea. Yukiko took a deep breath and leaned forward, "If you don't take me to him **_right now_**," She growled, "I'll take your favorite pink robe and rip it in a thousand pieces!"

Mephisto stiffened. His forest-green eyes widened, "You wouldn't."

"I would." Yukiko retorted. Finally, Mephisto relented and nodded, "Alright. Let's go."

* * *

By the time Yukiko and Mephisto arrived, Amaimon was putting Plan B in the Piss-Rin-Off Operation into action. From what the cinnamon-blonde could tell, her mate had tried to 'marry' Shiemi, Rin's love interest. When that had failed, Amaimon was threatening to gouge the poor girl's eye out.

Yukiko couldn't stand it if her mate was responsible for that girl's mutilation. She stepped forward, but Mephisto held her back, "Don't worry, Yuki. He's not serious."  
"You sure?" She arched a brow at him, "I've seen him eviscerate, behead, and beat dozens of people to a pulp. This seems nothing."  
"He won't." Mephisto grinned.

Rin didn't know that. From the ground, he yelled, "No, stop!"

Some kind of weird firework flew past Amaimon, forbidding him from carrying out his threat. The Earth King stood there in surprise before turning around, "Huh?"  
Yukiko followed his gaze. Three teenage boys were standing several feet below him. The tall and short one were holding fireworks, while one with a slender build and dyed pink hair was clinging to some kind of gold staff. The tallest, most muscular one, said, "Why're you leaving us out of the fun? That's rude!"

Rin yelled, "Wait, get back!"

The shortest boy with a shaved head and glasses called, "Okumura! Move away the second you have a chance."

The one with pink hair clutched his staff and said, "We're here to save Moriyama! We don't need to save you, too!"

Rin shakily got to his feet, "Stop! Listen to me..."

The short kid accidentally lit his firework, sending it flying right at Amaimon.

Yukiko tried to bolt again, but Mephisto held her back.

"What the hell?" Yukiko snapped.

"Amaimon won't hurt the boy. He only wants to test him." Mephisto purred, "Let him do what he wants to do from time to time."  
Yukiko wanted to protest, but a hissing noise made her look at her husband. His hair spike had puffed up like a broccoli. Everyone stood there in stunned silence; Amaimon slowly reached up and touched it, "Oh?"  
The pink-haired boy slapped a hand over his mouth as his shoulders shook, "Broccoli..."

Amaimon's blue-green gaze slowly turned to the boy. Just like that, Yukiko knew the teen was in trouble. The Earth King jumped from where he was standing, the girl still in his arms. With an effortless kick, he sent the boy slamming into a tree and on the ground.

"Shima!" The two boys cried.

Amaimon turned to the muscular one. Before he could do anything, the short one ran in front of his friend and held his arms out. The tall guy asked, "Neko?"  
The green-haired boy poked the kid's arm. He fell to his knees, screaming in pain.

"Konekomaru!" The guy yelled. Amaimon grabbed him by the throat and hoisted him off his feet. He asked in a dangerously calm voice, "Were you laughing at me?"  
The guy snorted, "I got no business with you! I only came so I could have a go with Okumura." He turned to Rin, who was still at the rock, "I don't get you at all!"

Rin gaped.

"You act all random and you manage to save people. You have no talent, and yet you're the hero!" The guy yelled, "It makes no sense! Just what the hell are you?" Amaimon tightened his grip with a bored expression, "Are you finished yet? You know the one thing I hate _is being ignored_."

"STOP!" Rin and Yukiko screamed simultaneously. At the sound of his mate's voice, Amaimon's eye twitched. He turned, and his blue-green eyes met her chocolate-brown ones. Yukiko struggled against Mephisto's grip. "Please, Amai..." She whispered, "_Please_."

Amaimon actually hesitated. For a minute, it actually seemed that he would drop the humans and walk back to her, but a yell made them both turn their heads. Rin was burning with Satan's blue flames, and his long samurai sword was ready.

A look of childlike joy spread across the Earth King's face. He dropped the girl and the buff guy, his horn returning to normal. A slow, demonic grin appeared on his pale face, and he let out a cackle. Rin yelled, "Well? I thought you wanted to play!"  
"Alright!" Amaimon squealed, leaping through the air towards Rin.

Seconds later, the two were fighting in the night air. Yukiko's hands were at her temples, her fingernails digging in the skin, "If anything happens to him, I won't forget it."

When Mephisto didn't answer, the cinnamon-blonde frowned and looked behind her. The purple-haired demon wasn't there. After a second of searching, she found him sitting in an armchair suspended far into the sky. Yukiko growled, "He's a dead man."  
Deciding there was nothing she could do for the time being, Yukiko climbed in a tree and watched the battle. Rin was unleashing an ocean of bright blue flames, and though Amaimon looked thrilled at first, he was getting overpowered.

Several times, it looked like Rin would be the one to defeat Amaimon. Yukiko desperately wanted to interfere, but two things held her back: first, Amaimon would try to protect her and probably get even _more_ hurt, and second, two against one simply wasn't fair.

After what seemed like the most colossus blue fireball in history, Amaimon collapsed in the tree Yukiko was in. Up close, she saw how awful he looked; his face was splattered with blood, and his clothes were torn. He was panting heavily. Yukiko forgot her anger and held him close, "Amai..."

Amaimon groaned; she could tell he was beyond sensitive right now. Seeing him like this made tears spring in her eyes. She hadn't allowed herself to think how scared she'd been for him until now. Slowly, the Earth King's stiff arms wrapped around her. Yukiko's tears ran down her face, "Don't think you're not going to get a lecture after this." She kissed his jaw, making him tremble, "But not right now."  
Amaimon probably would've said something if he'd had the strength, but right now, the only sounds he managed to emit were pained, heavy gasps.

"You look like you could use a rest. Be sure to enjoy it." Mephisto's voice called, though it didn't sound like he was yelling.

Yukiko frowned and pulled away just in time to see Mephisto summon an absurd pink-and-white cuckoo clock the size of an inn. Amaimon and Yukiko shared confused looks as a white 'cuckoo' emerged, standing there for a minute. Then, it grabbed Amaimon in its beak and yanked him inside the clock.

"Hey!" Yukiko jumped to her feet, "Mephisto, you let him go _right this minute!_"

Mephisto ignored his sister-in-law and sighed contently, "And now..."

Rin was practically flying, encased in bright blue flames. With a horrendous roar, he split the cuckoo clock in half. With an explosion, pieces of the contraption flew everywhere like meteors. Yukiko just barely dodged one.

Her eyes darted to Amaimon tumbling to the ground, rolling for a whole minute before stilling.

"Amai!" She screamed, hopping down from her branch. She gently wrapped her arms around her husband, rolling him on his back. He was awake and alert, thank Gehenna, but he looked very tired indeed. When he saw Yukiko, his enraged expression softened. Yukiko wiped some of the blood from his cheek, "Are you alright?"

"I am now." He replied.


	13. Chapter 12: Together Forever

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! Hope u like! Though I feel I must warn you, this chapter is heart-wrenching.  
**

* * *

Chapter 12: Together Forever

Apparently, exorcists found this latest incident inexcusable.

After Yukiko and Kuri bandaged Amaimon up and gave him a long, elaborate lecture on how irresponsibly he behaved, a messenger demon told Satan something that made him practically roar the palace down. A minute later, he summoned Yukiko, Amaimon, Hoshi, and a couple of the other demon princes to the throne room.

A very swathed Earth King cradled his daughter as Satan yelled, "Guess fucking what, shitheads!"

Again, Yukiko held her claws firmly over Suzume's ears as her father-in-law spoke, "Those damn exorcists are gonna try to execute Rin! All these years he's been hidden, and Mr. Dumb-ass here," He pointed at Amaimon, who blushed and hung his head, "Made him reveal himself! Now the whole fucking world knows!" Satan rushed down the steps and glanced at Akeldama, the King of Misfortune, "Take the kid, will ya?"

"Uh, sure..." The demon scooped the infant in his arms, his lilac eyes questioning. Without warning, Satan struck Amaimon across the face. Yukiko's hands flew to her mouth as Satan continued to beat her mate, "You fucking idiot! You goddamn cretin! Because of you, the whole exorcist community's goin' fucking nuts! Rin's gonna die, and they're probably gonna redo that whole Demonic Genesis shit: find half-demons and execute 'em! And all because you were _fucking bored!_"

Amaimon fell on his back with a grunt, his left eye swelling up like a balloon, and black stains were appearing on some of his bandages. "You don't fucking deserve to be a Prince of Gehenna!" Satan raised his claw to strike down down again, but Yukiko stepped in the way.

Satan looked surprised for a minute, then snarled, "Move, blondie, or you're next!"

"Father-sama, please," Yukiko pleaded, "Beating Amaimon to a pulp won't change what happened. Please, stop." It may have looked pathetic to anyone else, but Satan was actually shocked. This girl was risking getting flattened by protecting that little shit-sack, and she probably knew it well. And here she was, still refusing to move. Finally, with an exasperated sigh, he dropped his fist, "Fine, what-fucking-ever!"

Yukiko gently helped Amaimon to his feet. The Earth King looked embarrassed and tears were filling his green-blue eyes, but he gave Yukiko a look that couldn't have been more obvious: _Thank you_.

She kissed him on the cheek in response, gaining them smug looks from Akeldama and Astaroth. Satan continued, "Anyway, Mephy's in court right now defending that little dip-shit! Shura's there, too. She ain't too pleased, either."

"Wonderful." Hoshi sighed.

"But lotsa exorcists are snooping around the woods. You know, Amai," Satan snarled, "The ones _you_ helped destroy?"

Amaimon's pale face turned the color of a ruby as his father said, "So, what I want y'all to do is go there and teach those punks a lesson. Enough forest demons died yesterday! We don't need anymore!"

"Yes, Father-sama," Yukiko bowed a little, "Who will be going?"

"You, of course," Satan gave her a tiny smile before turning to the others, "And Hoshi, Astaroth, and Kage. You know what they say: best things come in small packages." He straightened, "Try to tell those motherfuckers to get out, and if they don't wanna listen," He grinned, revealing canines the size of Yukiko's pinky, "Bring me back their heads. I'll play bowling with them!" He finished his speech with a wild, maniacal cackle.

Hoshi and Yukiko shared a look.

Amaimon spoke up, "Father, can't I come al-"

"**_NO!_**" All the demons clasped their claws over their ears. Everything ceramic object in the room exploded. Satan was fuming at his son, "You've done enough damage! Just get your ass to your room!"  
Amaimon looked ready to cry. He inhaled deeply and nodded, "Yes, Father."  
With that, he gently kissed Yukiko's cheek, "See you later?"

Yukiko pecked him in the cheek, "Absolutely." The Earth King smiled goofily and made his way to his room.

* * *

When the four demons reached the scorched forest, they were hit by the severity of the situation. Almost everywhere they looked, exorcists could be found. "Great," Astaroth sighed, "Just how the hell are we going to cover this whole place?"

"Let's split up," Hoshi answered as her fire-whips appeared, "I'll take the north part of the forest. Yuki, the south. Astaroth, Kage? You got west and east."  
"Alright," Kage nodded, "Let's get cracking, then."  
With a 'Break!', they ran out of their hiding place.

Kage and Astaroth bended their father's rules. Instead of even trying to reason with the exorcists, they butchered them in plain sight. Before even half an hour had passed, they were done with their parts. Hoshi, on the other hand, tried to convince the exorcists to leave. But she got physical when they flung holy water at her. Only Yukiko almost refused to attack them. She dodged their attacks, but her patience was wearing thin. The thing that made her furious was their prejudice. They were so convinced that demons were evil, they were willing to kill every one in sight without listening to them at all.

She eventually gave in and defeated them, too.

As she washed the blood from her claws in a stream, a low chortling made her ears perk up. She stopped, listening. The laughter came from her far left. She sprung to her feet, eyes alert, "Who's there?"

The cackling continued for a minute; finally, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was an exorcist, maybe in his mid-fifties. Though the Earth Queen had never seen him before, something about him seemed vaguely familiar. Something in those dark eyes, that scraggly dark hair...

Just like that, she knew who it was, "Greene?"

The man grinned. It wasn't a kind smile; it was a little better than bared teeth. "Yep. John Greene. I'm sure you met my daughter, Jane?"

Yukiko growled, her tail flickering angrily. She knew Jane, of course. The insane woman had been in charge of Demonic Genesis, the barbaric company that captured half-demons and attempted to make them 'safe' to normal humans. When they failed to remove the demonic genes from the children's DNA, they murdered them. Never painlessly, of course. Agonizing ways, like burning them alive, stabbing them, and so on. Jane had worked undercover as an agent in order to kill her foes from the inside out. First, she'd led two agents to be eaten alive by hellhound, then she'd given the organization a mini time-bomb disguised as a data chip. After she'd been captured, she'd been sentenced to the Fields of Punishment.

"Yes. I do," Yukiko smirked, "Sweet kid you had there. Who was the mother? Cruella De Vil?"

The man's face reddened with anger. The cinnamon-blonde smirked, but it dissolved when Mr. Greene pulled out a pistol. Yukiko scoffed, "Go ahead, man. Shoot. I'll just heal in five seconds flat."  
"Not with these bullets, you won't." Mr. Greene explained, "They're silver bullets, soaked in holy water and blessed directly from the pope in Rome."

Yukiko's eyes widened. Now, that was bad. With bullets like that, she'd be dead in ten minutes at the very least. For demons, holy water was like acid, slowly killing them from the inside out. But Yukiko shook it off. All she had to do was not get shot.

"This is for my daughter." Mr. Greene snarled, "I'll kill all of you filthy creatures, one by one."

"Good luck." Yukiko remarked.

**_BANG!_**

Yukiko waved her hand. The earth shot up in front of her, forming a shield. She heard the bullet bury in the dirt. With a cackle, she summoned the ground under her feet. Two meters of it broke free, rising in the air. Yukiko snapped her fingers, and the tip turned sharper than glass. It zoomed towards Mr. Greene, who yelped and shot wildly.

Yukiko yelled and fell off her mound of earth, landing on her back. Mr. Greene walked towards her as she screamed in pain and clutched her shoulder, which was bleeding black blood. He smiled slowly and aimed the gun again, "Here's your last choice in this world: where should I shoot?" Without waiting for an answer, he fired the gun.

Yukiko rolled over, just narrowly missing a bullet in her gut. With a growl, she slammed her fist in the dirt. The ground shook uncontrollably, sending Mr. Greene tumbling across the field. With a yell, she waved her hands. Rocks from all around her flew into the air and pelted the man like cannons.

Finally, he stopped moving.

Feeling oddly calm, Yukiko strolled towards him. The wound in her shoulder throbbed painfully, and her skin felt hotter than a bonfire, but she ignored it. Mr. Greene, battered and bleeding, looked at her fearfully. She didn't blame him; she'd pounded him without mercy and without hesitation.

Just like a real demon.

"You think you've won?" He snarled, trying not to look scared.

Yukiko snorted, "I don't think. I _know_."

"Oh, really?" Mr. Greene grinned, "Let's see how strong you are when my people bring you a little present."

Yukiko arched a brow and was about to demand what he meant. A babyish cry stopped her in her tracks. Slowly, fearfully, she looked ahead and almost screamed. Two reluctant-looking exorcists were holding Suzume, who was crying and kicking. Yukiko turned to Mr. Greene, "How could you do this? She's only a baby!"

"You killed my daughter." Mr. Greene shakily got to his feet, "Now I'll kill yours."

"Sir," One exorcist piped up, "Isn't that going a little far? I mean, she's only-"

"NO!" Mr. Greene roared, "She's only a demon, Sir Fox! A filthy, stupid, evil demon! It no longer matters how old she is! She's going to die!"

"Like hell she is!" Yukiko got ready to make another earthquake, but another loud, echoing BANG stopped her.

Everything froze. Even the exorcists looked shocked. Slowly, Yukiko looked at her abdomen, which was starting to burn with pain.

Her shirt was turning black. With a groan, she fell on her side. Her breath came in small huffs. The pain in her shoulder and abdomen was worse than anything she could ever imagine. Every cell in her body was on fire, and her head pounded horribly.

Mr. Greene looked satisfied, "I'm going to kill you, demon." He walked towards Suzume, who was still wriggling to get free, "But first, I'm going to teach you how it feels to lose a loved one." He snarled, "_That's_ what pain is."

Before he could utter another word, long whips of fire appeared out of nowhere. The exorcists screamed and dropped Suzume, running for their lives. Mr. Greene tried to shoot the whips, but they only got angrier. They coiled around him and pulled him into the air. Yukiko, still on the ground, looked up to see Hoshi marching out of the woods. Her fire-whips were several yards long now, and with her scowl, she looked even scarier than her father.

"What's pain again, sir?" She asked, "Is it...this?" Her whips wrapped tighter around him. Mr. Greene screamed in pain, and the stench of burning flesh filled the air. "Or is it this?" Another fire-whip formed from her short black hair and hovered in the air for a second. Then, it ran him through.

With a smirk at his frozen, shocked expression, Hoshi tossed Mr. Greene's corpse away and rushed to Yukiko. When she saw her state, Hoshi yelped, but still sat down and rested Yukiko's head on her lap. "You're...you're going to be okay." She tried, but she knew Yukiko was no fool. No demon could survive two silver, blessed bullets. She'd been lucky to withstand one.

Tears filled Yukiko's eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Hoshi's warm tears splattered on her cheek. Yukiko managed a weak smile and reached for her sister. Hoshi grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently. The two sisters looked in each other's eyes, and all the memories of the past years raced before their eyes like a movie.

All of a sudden, they were little girls again, shaking hands in the dark alley. Then, they were teens being brought in DG for the first time. Next, they were sitting at the lunch table. Hoshi was scolding Yukiko for giving the weird new boy her lunch. The sisters, still sitting in the grass, relived every moment they'd spent together. Every laugh, every argument, every plan, every discovery. Even though they'd never been biological sisters, it would've been difficult to find another pair as close as them. They loved each other; they needed each other, and they knew their bond was too strong to ever really die.

Yukiko felt everything around her darken. It didn't hurt like before. It was soothing and gentle, thank goodness. She squeezed Hoshi's hand, which was glued to hers from their tears, "Together forever?"

Hoshi nodded without hesitation, "Together forever."

Yukiko smiled again. Then, she sighed, and her gaze became blank. Her grip loosened. Hoshi sat there, staring at her sister's face. She let out a pained, gurgled howl of pain and grabbed Yukiko's limp body, hugging her close. Hoshi apologized; she apologized for not being able to come sooner. She apologized for every petty argument they'd ever had. She apologized for every mean thing she'd ever said and done. She apologized for attacking Yukiko that night in the alley. She apologized for not always being there for the sister who'd never hesitating in making her happy and safe.

"Hoshi!" Astaroth ran towards the Japanese girl. Kage, with Suzume in his arms, was in close persuit. "Where's..." The King of Rot stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Yukiko's bleeding, battered body. His face went blank, but all the grass around them yellowed and died. Kage hid Suzume's face in his shirt as the mousy-haired demon knelt down and gently closed Yukiko's eyes.

"Azazel will be judging her soon." Kage said in a strange, hollow voice, "She'll probably end up in the Fields of Paradise or something."

Hoshi and Astaroth said nothing. The demon scooped Yukiko in his arms and, after a second, stroked her face.

The three started their way back to Gehenna.


	14. Chapter 13: Pentagram

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! Hope u like! This chapter is heart-wrenching too. You have been warned.  
**

* * *

Chapter 13: Pentagram

Amaimon panted heavily, his eyes watering from pain. For some reason, the pentagram on his arm had begun to burn earlier, and the pain had intensified with every passing moment. It was like someone had injected flaming gasoline in his arm. Amazingly enough, after nearly an hour, the convulsion stopped abruptly, like someone had flipped a switch. Panting, he yanked up the sleeve of his shirt, examining his mark.

It looked exactly the same; it was still an inverted pentagram the size of his palm. Yukiko had one identical to his. But something looked different. Amaimon looked at it for another minute before putting the pieces together.

The mark was usually bright crimson. But now, it was black as pitch.

The Earth King scratched his head in confusion. How could the mark change color? And _why? _It had remained the same since his wedding day. Why would it change color now? What did it mean?

He sighed and sat on his bed, swinging his legs.

His green-blue eyes darted to the clock suspended on the wall. Yukiko, Hoshi, Kage, and Astaroth had already been gone for an hour. Amaimon chewed on his nail worriedly. He hoped Yukiko was alright. He honestly didn't know what he'd do if he lost her.

His thoughts were interrupted by a faint knocking. Yukiko? Amaimon jumped to his feet and brushed his shirt off, then spat in his palm and slicked his dark green hair back.

"Come in." He called. The door creaked open, and out came...

"...Kuri?" Amaimon frowned, "What're you doing here?"

The African-American woman didn't look too good. Her brown eyes were pink and puffy, but Amaimon barely noticed. For all he knew, she could've been watching a good-quality adult drama. She fumbled with her hands and avoided his gaze, "I...I really don't know how to tell you this..."  
Amaimon blinked, not understanding, "Open your mouth and form words."

Kuri burst into tears, hiding her face in her hands. Amaimon's eyebrows threatened to disappear in his hairline. "Um..." He hesitantly stepped towards her and patted her back, "Just...just breathe, alright?"  
After a minute, she calmed down and wiped her eyes.

"Now," Amaimon said, "What did you want to tell me?"

Kuri hesitated. Then, she hung her head, "I'm afraid Yukiko is dead."

Everything around Amaimon froze. He thought...he **_hoped_**...he'd misheard.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked.

"Jane's father shot her twice," Kuri wiped her eyes, "I saw the body myself."

_'The body'_. That's how she was referring to Yukiko. Hot, unexplainable anger filled Amaimon's chest. His hands balled into fists, "No. I don't believe you."

"Amaimon, I wouldn't lie..."

"You're lying." Amaimon glared at her. She recoiled like she'd been bitten. "_You're lying! You're lying! You're lying! She's not dead! She can't die! **LIAR! LIAR! LIAR!**_" Amaimon screamed, his voice breaking and growing louder. He started grabbing random objects in the room and throwing them at Kuri: a lamp, a vase of flowers, even a stool. Kuri retreated to the door just as Amaimon's samurai sword slammed in the wall, just narrowly missing her.

"**_LIAR!_**" He bellowed after her. Amaimon stood there panting, glaring at the door. His knees wobbled; he sat in the corner, his head on the wall. Yukiko couldn't be dead, could she? She was so strong, so skilled...she wouldn't let herself get killed.

It hit him like a brick. The mark on his arm.

Amaimon remembered Azazel's words, "_As long as you both shall live, you will have these two identical symbols._"

The mark was still there, but it wasn't the same as before.

And like that, Amaimon knew that Kuri had been telling the truth.

Before he knew it, he was looking at the photos coating the bedroom walls.

One by one, he saw each photograph and remembered the exact moment it had been taken. He saw the precise moment his lips had met Yukiko's on their wedding. He saw the recent picture of Yukiko and Hoshi holding Suzume. Another showed Amaimon sitting cross-legged on the floor with a victorious grin while Yukiko lay near a huge mountain of candy, looking green in the face. He relived every moment on the walls. Every word exchanged. Every action performed. Each one was like a lead pebble dropping in his heart.

Yukiko was_** dead**_.

She had saved him so many times, and he'd never even thanked her. He'd only told her he loved her once, and he hadn't really repaid the kindness she'd shown him. Yukiko had been the only one who'd really accepted him for who he was, and had never taken advantage of him in any way.

Tears streamed down Amaimon's pale face.

* * *

Kuri had been shaken by Yukiko's death as well. Even though she hadn't known the Earth Queen that long, or even that well, she'd still cared about the cinnamon-blonde. In fact, she'd spent weeks working on a special lotion for Yukiko's scars. It was a special-designed ointment that erased any blemish it came in contact with. In other words, Kuri had tried to rid Yukiko of her horrible scars.

And Yukiko was not alive to take it.

With deep breaths and deeply-controlled expressions, Kuri prepared Yukiko in her coffin. She'd dressed the girl in her favorite dark green sweater, brown leggings, and baggy lime-green dress pants. Yukiko's hair had been washed, curled, and pinned back with her favorite jasper clip shaped like a dragonfly. On the girl's light brown fingers were her wedding band and engagement ring. Yukiko's wounds had been cleaned and her expression was frozen in the contented smile she'd given Hoshi before passing on. She looked like she would wake up any moment.

On the night of the funeral, two demons picked up the coffin and brought it to Satan's gardens. Seven of the demon princes, Shura, Salual, Kuri, Hoshi, Suzume, and Mephisto were present.

"Wait."  
The demons stopped immediately. To everyone's surprise, Satan himself appeared. He walked towards the coffin and yanked the lid off. He stared at Yukiko's paling, 'sleeping' face for a long moment before planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. Then, he closed the lid and said to the demons, "Carry on, fuckers."

As the coffin was lowered in the black soil, Kuri looked around, "Hey, where's Amaimon?"

"Apparently, my sweet little brother couldn't come," Mephisto said flatly, "He's beside himself with grief."

Hoshi's eyes narrowed dangerously. Without a word, she turned around and marched towards the castle. Kuri suddenly imagined Amaimon being served on a platter and ran after her.

* * *

"Come on, Amai." Kuri coaxed gently, "Yukiko would've wanted you to be there."

"No!" Came the loud, strained reply.

Kuri sighed and turned to Hoshi, "I really don't know what to-"

The Japanese girl banged her fist against the door. Behind it, Amaimon sat curled up in a ball. He heard Hoshi's words loud and clear, "Amaimon! We're all sad about Yukiko's death! I barely managed to escape cutting myself! But locking yourself away won't bring her back! Please, face the truth!"

Amaimon's hands tightened on Yukiko's nightgown.

"I can't." He whispered, "It's too painful."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Assiah...

"What's wrong with her, doctor? When will she wake up?" Mrs. Moriyama asked anxiously. The doctor sighed and pulled his hand away from Shiemi's forehead, "Honestly, ma'am, I really don't know."

Mrs. Moriyama sighed, "Damned exorcist school...I should've known better than to send her!"

"In fact, what happened exactly?" The doctor asked with interest. Mrs. Moriyama glared at him before rubbing her temples, "She was bitten by some kind of demon snake during Okumura Yukio's lesson. He brought in a real specimen to make the class understand better, but the snake got out of control and bit her in the hand."

"Well, that explains the venom in her blood." The doctor said, "I'll contact the exorcists, ma'am. I promise to do everything I can."

As the adults spoke, something happened to Shiemi. On her forearm, a bright red line formed, like a tattoo appearing on its own. It formed a circle, then various details followed.

In seconds, Shiemi had a bright red, inverted pentagram engraved on her arm.


	15. Chapter 14: Through Another's Eyes

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! Hope u like! This is basically Shiemi unknowingly going through Yukiko's memories. Also, 'chartreuse' is another word for bright green.  
**

* * *

Chapter 14: Through Another's Eyes

The doctors couldn't explain it, nor could the exorcists. Shiemi woke up hours later, the demonic venom completely gone. How she'd recovered so quickly remained a mystery. But their relief evaporated the second the girl opened her eyes.

Shiemi, oddly enough for a Japanese resident, had fair skin, straw-colored hair, and chartreuse eyes. But one of her eyes had become chocolate-brown. When she was asked about it, Shiemi answered that she hadn't felt a thing and didn't believe them until she saw her reflection. She looked quite odd with different-colored eyes. Still, it was...kind of pretty.

Either way, the young girl was simply happy to be back in school. She'd only started attending school this year, but she'd already become friends with most of her classmates. There was Bon, a tall, muscular, tanned guy who was actually a model student. Then, there was Shima, a teenage boy who'd, for reasons unknown to mankind, dyed his hair bubble-gum pink. There was Konekomaru, a short boy who was just as sweet as she was, and Izumo Kamiki, a somewhat cold girl who _could_ show kindness.

Then, of course, there were the Okumura brothers, Rin and Yukio. Yukio, who was actually a professor despite being her age, was a very kind, mature boy. While she didn't harbor any romantic feelings for him, he was very important to her. Same went with Rin; the two of them were thick as thieves.

Once she entered the classroom, she was greeted by Yukio's hands on her shoulders. "Shiemi, I am _so sorry_ about what happened," He said in a calm but sincere voice, "I had no idea that snake would attack you. The person who lent it to me swore that it was well-trained!"

"Aw, it's okay, Yuki." Shiemi smiled, "The doctors said I'm cured now."

"Already?" Yukio looked shocked, "But that snake was one of the deadliest snakes of Gehenna! One bite could kill a full-grown man! How could you heal so quickly?"  
The way he asked and his expression made Shiemi shift uncomfortably. But Yukio wasn't done; he peered at her face like she was a fascinating specimen of insect. "What happened to your eyes?" He asked.

"Nothing. Really, I'm fine." Shiemi bowed her head and marched to her desk. Once there, she greeted her friends. Like Yukio, they all noticed the change in her appearance and asked her about it. She didn't have the answer, of course, but it made her uncomfortable all the same.

Class came and went. By the time the final bell rang, announcing they were free to go home, Shiemi was more than happy to comply. She gathered her books, crammed them in her bag, and rushed back to her house. She could hear everyone murmuring behind her back, and judging by their tones, it was clear they were discussing her. Shiemi's legs picked up the pace; before she knew it, she was already less than a couple yards from her home.

Familiar yells made her stop. She listened, and another roar confirmed her fears. "Rin!" She scampered towards the sound, her eyes wide. She looked around frantically before spotting Rin just outside the entrance to the woods. He was coated in burning blue flames and his sword was unsheathed, and he looked very enraged indeed.

In the tree in front of him was a boy about their age that seemed vaguely familiar to her. He had dark green hair with an odd, lighter green spike on top, and his mismatched outfit consisted of a torn brown jacket, knee-long trousers, arm warmers, and a short-sleeved shirt. Just like that, Shiemi recognized him; he was Amaimon, Rin's supposed older brother. He'd briefly controlled her brain some days ago, and had even tried to marry her.

But if that was all...and she'd never seen him before that...why did she get the feeling that she _knew_ him?

"You goddamn spinach!" Rin screamed, "What the hell do you want?"

"To punish you." Amaimon responded calmly, pulling a lollipop from his jacket pocket. As he unwrapped it, he explained, "You see, it is your fault I'm in pain. If I had won our last round, all would be well."

"What the hell does that mean?" Rin bellowed, "That doesn't even make sense! If you're a lousy fighter, that's your problem, not mine!"

Amaimon didn't even blink as he jumped from the tree. He kicked Rin, sending him flying through the neighbor's fence. Shiemi gasped as Amaimon leaped towards the black-haired boy, beating him mercilessly. Rin lost his patience after the third blow and headbutted him. The Earth King grunted and fell back. Rin, growling like an animal, swung his sword. Amaimon rolled over, then slammed his fist against the ground. A geyser of dirt sent Rin gliding across the air. He rolled over on the dirt road, not moving.

"Rin!" Shiemi yelled.

Amaimon ignored her completely and walked towards Rin. The panting teen glared at his 'brother' and spat, "You prick!"  
The green-haired boy shrugged and held up hi long-nailed claw, "Goodbye, Rin."

"No!"

Amaimon barely had time to stop his hand. A fair-skinned girl with shoulder-long hair had stepped in front of Rin, her arms spread out and her eyes wide. "Please, sir! Please don't hurt Rin!" She pleaded, tears filling her eyes. Amaimon stared at her, and Shiemi noticed that his green-blue eyes were puffy and red, like he'd been crying. She also noticed a gleaming wedding ring on his raised hand.

Saying nothing, Amaimon lowered his hand. He stared at her eyes like they were the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. He hesitantly reached for her face; Shiemi gasped and stepped back. "Y...Yukiko?" He whispered.

Shiemi frowned, "What?"

Amaimon frowned, then shook his head, clearing it. "I apologize. It was nothing." He turned to Rin, who'd rose to hi feet, and his expression hardened. "Thank this girl," He said firmly, "Thank those eyes, and how they see you." Amaimon wavered, then ran into the forest.

Shiemi stood there for a second, then turned to Rin, "Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, thanks." Despite his injured face, Rin flashed her a fanged smile, "Can't believe you calmed him down. I should bring you around more often."

They both chuckled, but Shiemi couldn't shake off the feeling she'd gotten when she'd seen Amaimon. It'd been..._familiar_. Like she knew him.

* * *

That night, Shiemi slept horribly. She was trapped in a frightening, dark world that suffocated her. After what seemed like a century of falling through a tunnel of shadows, she found herself in a completely white room. But there was nothing comforting about it. The whole room seemed to be holding its breath, like something was about to happen.

A grunt made her jump three feet in the air. Shiemi turned around to find a girl not much older than she was strapped to a hospital bed. She wore clothes several sizes too large, and her skin was light brown. She had Asian facial features, but her short, curly hair was an unusual shade of dark blonde. A woman with long, dark blonde hair puffed on her cigarette and pulled the girl's shirt up.

"Now, the choice is yours, Yukiko," The woman said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "Either you tell us where Hoshi and Amaimon are, or I'll cut your kidney out." She shrugged, "Whichever comes first, I really don't care."

"No!" The girl snapped, "Forget it! I'd rather die than betray my friends!"

The woman looked amused at the answer. She snickered and pulled out a sharp-looking silver tool, "Alright then. You asked for it."

"No, no, please..." Shiemi whispered, but the woman dug the sharp end in the girl's stomach. Yukiko's eyes bulged open as a hiss of pain escaped her. Shiemi screamed before she could stop herself; she'd felt that jab, too, on her own stomach. She ran towards her and tried to tug at the restraints, but her hands went through the leather like smoke. The blonde girl could only watch as the woman forced Yukiko's kidney out. Both the girls' screams echoed through the room, but the woman pretended not to notice. Shiemi was sure she would faint from the pain, but eventually, it stopped.

Yukiko's face, much like hers, was soaked with tears of pain. The woman wiped her hands and dropped the kidney in a white box with a red cross on it.

"Why don't you just talk?" The woman sounded genuinely surprised, "It'd be easier for you."

"My life's not important," Yukiko refused to look at her, "Hoshi and Amaimon's are." She glared at the doctor, "So, come on! Take out_ all_ my organs! I still won't talk!"

The woman sighed and injected something in Yukiko's arm, "Maybe tomorrow. For now, sleep."

Before Yukiko could protest, her eyelids grew heavy, and she fell asleep. Shiemi felt her own eyelids grow heavy; she had to steady herself to avoid passing out. She heard the woman speak to a man as her eyes refused to cooperate.

"She's still not talking. I really don't think this is going anywhere. She'd rather end up in a vegetative state than tattle."  
"...I understand." He dialed something in his phone, like an SMS.

"What're you doing?"

"We sent a Malkin to retrieve them and we only got one." The man explained, "So we're sending _humans_ this time to pick up Hoshi."  
"What about the pale kid with the green hair?"  
"Him? No. Our tests say that he has two demonic parents instead of one. I don't want to end up eaten alive."

"How many'd you send?"

"Three."

* * *

Shiemi sat up in her bed, panting and sweating. That dream had been so vivid, so real...she could've sworn it'd been a memory. But that didn't make any sense; she'd never met this Yukiko person. It must've been a dream.

But if it was...why did Amaimon call her 'Yukiko'?


	16. Chapter 15: Fractured Memory

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! Hope u like!  
**

**And for the record, people like this do exist today. There are those who are so taken by religion, they can't or won't see things from any perspective different from their own. I've met a few.  
**

* * *

Chapter 15: Fractured Memory

"Are you okay, Shiemi?" Rin asked the next morning.

"Of course, Rin. Why?" The girl answered, rubbing her eyes.

"Oh, gee, I don't know," Rin responded sarcastically, "Maybe it's because you yawned five times in half an hour."

Shiemi blushed bright pink, "Oh! I-I..."  
"Don't sweat it." Rin grinned toothily at her, "I hate my brother's lessons, too."

"It's not that." Shiemi said, rubbing her eyes again, "Just...I really slept badly last night."

"You?" Rin arched a thin black brow, "Shiemi, I've known rocks that sleep lighter than you." Shiemi shrugged. Rin opened his mouth to ask for details, but a loud throat-clearing made them turn around. Yukio was glaring at the pair with icy turquoise eyes, "If you two are done chatting, I have a question for Shiemi." His tone softened slightly, "Briefly discuss the Earth King Amaimon."

Shiemi felt her heart do a little somersault at the name. Confused by her own emotions, she tucked some straw-colored hair behind her ear and felt the facts pour out of her mouth:

"Amaimon was born on April 22nd, several centuries ago. His host is a teenage boy named Matt Stevens. The boy's parents had planned to send him to a lunatic's asylum because he had prophetic vision. However, Matt panicked and tried to drive the car back home; he ended up almost drowning in the Hudson River. Amaimon appeared to him and asked permission to possess him. Matt agreed, and from that moment on, Amaimon used that body to enter Assiah."

The entire class was staring at her like she'd sprouted a second head. Even Yukio, who seldom looked surprised at anything, looked perplexed. He starting skimming through the textbook in his hand before motioning for Shiemi to continue. Not exactly enjoying all the attention she was receiving, Shiemi found the facts bursting out:

"Amaimon has a rather large family and is a direct son of Satan. His mother was an earth spirit named Hermia. Her soul was tied to the land of Tokyo, but when the trees were cut down to make buildings, she passed away. Amaimon refuses to show it, but he sorely misses his mother. He also desperately wants to please his father, and feels neglected when Satan's attention goes to another of his children. Amaimon, while normally pleasant around the people he loves, will not hesitate to massacre people who threaten his family's safety. An example is his bride's mother, who was a human. She upset the Earth Queen; Amaimon, in response, showed her his true form and drove her insane."

The class was so silent, you could hear a mouse breathe. Bon and Izumo were flipping through pages while Shima was struggling to keep a straight face. Rin looked like he'd just been slapped in the face. After what seemed like an eternity, Yukio spoke in a soft voice, "Shiemi...I didn't know Amaimon was married. Nor did I know he was capable of love. Also, I was not aware that he 'asked' a boy to be possessed. In fact, the textbook here says the contrary." He flipped the book to the correct page and held it to the girl.

Shiemi felt her eyes widen as she read:

'Amaimon, a son of Satan and frequently known as 'the Earth King', is perhaps one of the most dangerous and viscous demons in existence. He will kill out of pure boredom, and is incapable of displaying emotion except blood-lust. He cares for nothing and no one except his kin and kingdom. Amaimon gained a vessel some decades ago by forcing a young boy to drown himself. When the boy died, Amaimon possessed his corpse. Some exorcists believe this is why the body has not aged.'

Shiemi shook her head, "It's a lie!"

Now, the class couldn't conceal their surprise. Izumo snapped, "Are you crazy, Moriyama?" Paku, her friend, put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

Yukio's expression hardened, "And how, pray tell, do you know any of the information you just said? I've read every book in this academy, Shiemi, so you can't tell me you found it somewhere here. The explanations are two." He held up two fingers, "Either you were tricked by the Earth King to be seen under a more sympathetic light, or you are simply making it up because you did not do the reading."

"I'm not lying!" Shiemi protested, "I...I don't know how I know any of that stuff! I just opened my mouth and they...came out. I couldn't control it! I swear!"  
It was true, however curious it may have sounded. The young girl really hadn't known a thing about the Earth King, but when she'd opened her mouth to speak, the words had flown out before she could stop them.

Yukio must've been considering something, for he was staring at her eyes again: one green, one brown. Then, he tilted his head towards the door, "Shiemi, please go see the principal. You're not in trouble," He added quickly when Rin and Shiemi prepared to object, "I just think Faust will have the answers that I don't have."

Shiemi nodded, "Okay." With that, she bowed her head and rushed out of the classroom.

* * *

"...And that's how Yuki sent me to you, sir." Shiemi finished as she took another sip of her tea. Mephisto nodded, smiling, "I understand completely."  
"Then you know why?" Shiemi asked hopefully.

"No." Mephisto replied, though he didn't sound truthful, "But I can tell you lost some sleep to these nightmares, Miss Moriyama. Here," He handed her a purple candy as long as her finger, "Eat this, and you'll fall asleep instantly."

"Oh...kay." Shiemi hesitantly took the candy. She wanted answers, not sweets. But then again, her head was aching with tiredness, and her eyes burned. With a defeated sigh, she stuffed the candy in her mouth. The second the flavor spread through her tongue, she fell against her chair, breathing softly.

Mephisto grinned silently.

* * *

Shiemi was in a different place from last time. She was in a chapel, complete with softly-sung prayers and musky incense. It was so peaceful compared to last time, the girl sighed in relief.

The door creaked open behind her. Shiemi turned to see two young girls creeping inside. They couldn't have been older than nine, with dirt and grime all over their bodies. One was Japanese, with long, shaggy black hair and fair skin. The other was younger, thinner, and had slightly-longer hair, but Shiemi recognized her instantly.

Yukiko.

"You think it's safe, Hoshi?" Yukiko asked, her eyes wide with concern, "We've already been chased out-"

"This time's different." Hoshi said reassuringly, "Really, sis. This is the house of God. They won't kick us out."

Yukiko considered this, "I guess." Hoshi grinned and rubbed her hands together, looking around. Shiemi tried to touch the little girl's shoulder, but her hand went through Hoshi's coat like it was fog. Once again, the blonde was reminded that she was merely a spectator. She watched as Yukiko pointed, "There!"  
Moments later, they were cuddling under the organ. Hoshi had her arm securely around Yukiko's waist, but the cinnamon-blonde stayed awake. When she was sure her sister was asleep, she crawled out from their hiding place and tip-toed to the offerings left for Mother Mary.

Her chocolate-brown eyes twinkled at the sight of a chocolate bar. She glanced at the portrait, wondering if she should take it, then relented. Shiemi could hardly blame her; she could feel Yukiko's hunger like it was her own, and it was awful. Her stomach seemed to be made of stretched rubber, itching with pain every few seconds. The little girl ripped the wrapper off and took a savage bite, relishing the delicious chocolate. Shiemi smiled a little at Yukiko's delight gurgles.

"Oi, you!"

Shiemi and Yukiko both jumped at the sound of a voice. Two pastors, who'd apparently been reading to each other, glared at the street child. Shiemi could feel Yukiko's spiral of panic; she dropped the candy like it was poisoned, but the pastors kept coming. One grabbed her roughly by the arm, making her whine, "How dare you steal Mother Mary's food!"  
"Now, Darren," The other said firmly, "The child is obviously famished. Otherwise, she never would've done such a thing."  
"Let go!" Yukiko yanked her arm away, but not before the fabric on her oversize coat tore. Shiemi gasped at Yukiko's arm. It was coated in sloppily-applied stitches, and blood crusted several parts. Whoever had sewn her skin together had been less than experienced. Darren recoiled like he'd been slapped. Yukiko's light brown face blushed furiously as she slapped a hand over her injuries.

"What is this?" Darren demanded, "Did you see that? It's hideous!"  
Yukiko said nothing, but Shiemi felt it all like a hundred-pounded bomb: pain, embarrassment, anger, and fear.

"Man was created from God's own image." Darren rambled over his pastor friend, who'd started to speak, "So any deformity in appearance reflects a flaw in character. I think we should see what she's done to deserve such ugliness."  
Yukiko bolted towards the organ before the pastors could utter another word. She shook Hoshi violently, pleading her to wake up. When Hoshi groggily opened her dark brown eyes, Yukiko grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her towards the exit.

"Come back here!" Darren yelled, "You little sinner! You filth! Get out! You're not worthy of the house of God!" The girls didn't need a second invitation; they were out the door a second later.

"Darren, enough!" The other pastor snapped, "Those were starving, shivering children you just insulted. This is absurd. I'm going to find them." Shiemi silently clapped the man as he walked through her, glancing into the street. He looked through the dark streets before sighing and shaking his head at Darren, "They're gone."

* * *

Shiemi's eyes popped open. She sat in her chair panting and shivering despite the warm sunlight. Mephisto, who'd been calmly drinking tea, glanced at her in amusement, "Well? Have a nice nap, dearie?"

"Sir," Shiemi spoke, "What's happening to me?"


	17. Chapter 16: The Forest

Chapter 16: The Forest

Shiemi was one of those few people who couldn't lose their temper easily. But right now, she was fuming. She'd just had another unusual dream about this Yukiko character, and when she'd half-asked, half-begged Mephisto to explain it to her, he'd sent her away. As a result, she'd been a silent pillar of wrath for the rest of the morning and straight through lunch. Rin noticed her sour mood and had cheered her up slightly by juggling Jell-o cups. Shiemi thanked him with a tight hug, making the black-haired boy go beet-red.

But her relatively-good mood went out the window during the twenty-minute break students were given.

Izumo and Paku had been sitting on the grass doing typical girl stuff: reading magazines, laughing, and gossiping. Seeing the pair made Shiemi a little bit envious, so she decided to join in. After some convincing on both her and Paku's part, Izumo caved and let her sit down. For a while, everything seemed fine. They talked about this and that, and even cracked a few jokes.  
But it all went downhill when Shiemi noticed a wilting daisy hidden amongst the tall blades of grass. Without thinking, she held her hand over the dying flower. Seconds later, the daisy's brown petals turned snow-white, and the stem straightened. Izumo watched with wide, dark red eyes as the daisy grew three inches tall, perfectly healthy. Shiemi looked surprised; again, she'd done something without really knowing it, but this seemed better than blurting out facts about the Earth King. Here, she'd made something beautiful.

She glanced at her schoolmates, half-expecting words of praise or at least smiles. Instead, Izumo scowled and slapped the daisy, "You freak!" Shiemi was so surprised, she scrambled off the ground. Izumo followed suit, her dark purple pigtails flowing after her, "I'm going to tell Prof. Okumura! You're a freak!"

"No, I'm not!" Shiemi yelled back, hurt and angry. She ran off before the girl could say another word. The blonde girl didn't stop running until she reached the entrance to the woods. Here, she stopped. Students were absolutely forbidden from entering. In fact, it was an urban legend that a couple of kids had been killed a few decades ago. Even if Shiemi didn't believe in the legend, she didn't exactly feel welcomed when looking at the tall, menacing black trees.

Wondering if she should return, Shiemi glanced back at the academy. In the garden, Paku was trying to calm Izumo down, who was gesturing to Shiemi's daisy like it was a monstrosity. Another strong pang of pain struck Shiemi; she glanced at her hands as though they held the answers to her many questions.

"What's happening to me?" She whispered.

A soft _thump_ made her gasp and whirl around. The Earth King himself rose to his feet and brushed off his shirt, his green-blue eyes never leaving hers. Shiemi noticed he had dark circles under his eyes, like he'd done anything but sleep for weeks. Without saying a word, he pulled a sucker from his pants pocket and stuck it in his mouth. He hesitated before pulling out a second one and held it out to Shiemi. With a nervous smile, she took the lollipop and put it in her mouth.

As she sucked on her treat, Amaimon picked up a dead dandelion and held it out to her. A gust of wind appeared from nowhere and fluttered towards her, transforming in midair. When Shiemi caught it, she found it'd been rejuvenated, just like her daisy. Shiemi looked at Amaimon and realized the silent message he was sending her: _I'm just like you._

She gave him a genuine smile, and he smiled back.

* * *

The two sat in a high branch of a willow, shaded by its long, green braids. They'd been sitting in silence for a few minutes, until Amaimon finally spoke, "She's jealous."

Shiemi looked at him with a questioning frown.

"She's ordinary," He explained blankly, "And you're special."

Shiemi blushed and shook her head, "No. I'm not special."  
Amaimon never left her gaze, "Yes, you are."

Shiemi giggled and tucked some hair behind her ear. Amaimon stared at her for another moment before turning slightly. Making sure his back was turned, he pulled out a heart-shaped locket from the inside of his shirt and clicked it open. He sat there, staring at the photo of his wife sleeping. Amaimon felt fresh tears form in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away.

"A-are you alright, King Amaimon?" Shiemi asked, her voice dripping with concern. Amaimon wiped them away again, more roughly, and tucked the locket back in his shirt, "Yes. I'm fine."  
He turned to Shiemi and looked into her eyes, "And please, call me 'Amaimon'."  
Shiemi looked appalled, but she nodded nevertheless, "Okay...Amaimon."

Amaimon stared at her. Could this girl really be...Yukiko? She had qualities that reminded him of her: kindness, modesty, and a love for nature. But she was so...shy. Could she really be his wife's vessel? And if that were the case, why was she still acting like a human?  
Shiemi noticed his eyes on her and stared at her lap. Deciding to put her more at ease, Amaimon said, "Tell me about your family."

The blonde looked at him for a confused second before nodding, "Sure."

So, she told him. Amaimon found Shiemi's life much less tragic than Yukiko's. She'd grown up in a nice house next to her mother's exorcist herb shop, and since her mother was always busy, Shiemi had spent a lot of time tending the garden with her grandmother. One day, though, Shiemi came home late to find her grandmother dead. Feeling guilty and upset, she dedicated her time to tending the garden. She'd even been tricked by a plant demon to host it in order to protect the garden. It wasn't until she met Rin that she finally had the strength to move on and exorcise the demon.

Amaimon didn't speak the whole while, but finally, he spoke, "Do you...miss your grandmother?"

Shiemi nodded sadly, "Lots. I just wish I..." She wiped her eyes, "I just wish I could've said goodbye."

Amaimon nodded, understanding completely, "I know your pain."

Shiemi frowned, "You do?"  
The Earth King wondered how much he should say. If Yukiko's soul really was residing in Shiemi, she'd suspect that he was only interested in his dead wife. He decided to tell enough to make a point, but not enough for Shiemi to put the pieces together.

"I lost my wife recently." He said simply. Shiemi gasped, her eyes widening, "I'm so sorry, Amaimon." She put her hand over his, catching him off guard. Amaimon looked at her, really _looked_, and saw a sweet, sympathetic girl. A ghost of a smile appeared on his pale face, "Thank you, Shiemi."  
"What was she like?" Shiemi asked nervously, wondering if she was going too far. Amaimon spread his hands out, like there was too much to tell.

"She was the most wonderful girl in the world." He said honestly, "She was extremely intelligent. She could come up with accurate plans in a short time, and she always knew how to make me feel better when I was upset." Amaimon fiddled with his wedding ring, "She was beautiful, too. She may have doubted it, but not once did I look at her and not find her stunning. And..." He wiped his eyes again, "She was the only person who ever really understood me."

Shiemi rubbed his arm, "You must miss her so much."  
Amaimon nodded slowly, not looking at her, "More than you can imagine."

Shiemi didn't know why she felt so oddly. She'd only known this guy for an afternoon, if you counted the time he'd tried to 'marry' her. Why did she feel so sympathetic towards him? It made no sense.

Still, she couldn't stand seeing him so glum. Struck with inspiration, she suddenly gave him a shove. "Wha..?"  
"Tag! You're it!" Shiemi slid down the tree and raced deeper into the forest.

Amaimon watched her go with a dropped jaw and raised eyebrows. With a snort, he jumped down effortlessly and ran after her.

* * *

"I had a wonderful time, Amaimon." Shiemi managed between giggles. Amaimon smiled at her, "Really?"

"Yes, really." She tucked some hair behind her ear, "I must say, though, it's impossible to play tag with you. You run far too quickly, and the trees tell you where I am!"  
"I'm the Earth King," Amaimon protested, "I'm supposed to cheat!"

Shiemi chuckled as they stepped on the front porch, "Thank you for making me feel better."

"My pleasure." The green-haired boy beamed, "You did, too. Make me feel better, I mean."

"I did?" Shiemi frowned, "But I didn't do anything."

"You did." Amaimon said firmly, "Don't think otherwise."

Shiemi smiled bashfully and looked at the ground. Amaimon hesitated before asking, "Would you...um...like to spend time with me tomorrow, as well?"

The girl grinned, "I'd love to."

"Splendid." Amaimon ran a hand through his hair. He was about to ask her when, but the door flew open. A wide woman with light brown hair glared at the teens. Shiemi looked like she wanted to bury herself, but she smiled nervously and waved, "Hi, mom."  
In response, Mrs. Moriyama grabbed her by the arm and yanked her inside, "Where have you been?" She barked, "Your headmaster called today! You disappeared! I've been worried sick, Shiemi! I even called the police! How could you be so irresponsible?"

"It was my fault." Amaimon spoke up. Both women looked at him as he continued, "I led her away when Izumo Kamiki upset her. I spent the afternoon...taking her around. I forgot to bring her back to school."

"Yes." Shiemi added quickly, "That's exactly what happened!"

"Hmm..." Mrs. Moriyama looked less furious, but she wasn't exactly beaming. She turned to Shiemi, "Shiemi Moriyama, you are grounded for two weeks. Other than school, you aren't leaving this house. Now, go up to your room."

"Yes, Mother." Shiemi bowed her head and ran upstairs. Amaimon's hands balled into fists. His nails dug in his flesh, spilling blood. With a snarl, he left the Moriyama house.

He turned one last time to look at the house, and was surprised to find Shiemi standing on her balcony. With a timid smile, she waved at him. Feeling a warm flicker in his chest, he waved back.

Then, he left.


	18. Chapter 17: Mind Shield

Chapter 17: Mind Shield

For the next two weeks, Shiemi saw Amaimon at least once a day. In the morning, she headed to school through a different path from her classmates; it was a long, intertwining path in the forest Amaimon was quite fond of. More often than not, she left for school far too early so she and the Earth King could enjoy breakfast by the stream. Even though she had a few close calls, Shiemi always arrived at school on time. Then, she spent the day normally, though she never told anyone of her new friend. She could imagine the lectures already: Bon would yell at her for being too trustworthy, Rin would go to personally wallop his 'brother', and Izumo would mock her every chance she got. Besides, it felt delicious to have a secret, especially one that no one could ever figure out. Sweet little innocent Shiemi hanging out in the forbidden forest with the Earth King Amaimon? Impossible.

On most nights, Shiemi was woken by rapid tapping on her window. These little sleep disturbances usually led to her and Amaimon doing something calm and relaxing, like catching late-night ice creams, watching the stars, or simply talking in the willow tree. Since neither of them felt like talking about their pasts (mainly their losses), they spoke of other things, like favorite foods and preferred music groups. On most occasions, Amaimon brought his beautiful little daughter Suzume. The baby gurgled and played with Shiemi's silky hair, and the three spent long hours playing peek-a-boo. It made Amaimon feel almost normal.

"She's so beautiful," Shiemi often said as she stroked Suzume's face, "She looks familiar, though..." She shook her head, "Sorry, my mistake."  
Amaimon smiled sadly, wiping it away before the blonde looked at him, "Why's she called 'Suzume'?"  
The green-haired boy grinned, "I named her. It means 'little brown sparrow' in Chinese. I selected that name for her when she cried on the night of her birth. Because of the sounds she made and her appearance, the bird came to my mind."  
Shiemi giggled, "It's perfect." She thought about it before nodding approvingly, "You're right. She _is_ like a sparrow."

Suzume giggled and nuzzled in Shiemi's chest, "Mama!"

It was hard to tell whose eyes were wider: Shiemi's or Amaimon's.

"M-mama?" The blonde managed to blurt out.

"Her first word..." Amaimon stroked Suzume's wild black hair, "She's a month old..." Tears of joy swam in his eyes. Shiemi saw them and bit her lip to stop giggling. Amaimon noticed her gaze and blushed, quickly wiping his eyes, "I-I apologize. This is so unlike me."

"It's fine." Shiemi smiled, "Though I don't understand why she called me-"

"Mama!" Suzume yelled happily, "Mama! Mama!"

Shiemi laughed nervously and rubbed the baby's back, "Nice first word." She looked at the Earth King, "What was yours?"  
Amaimon blushed again, this time with utter embarrassment, "You don't want to know."  
"Oh, come on." Shiemi playfully tapped him in the shoulder, "What was it? Candy?"  
"No."  
"Candy cane?"  
"No."  
"Gum?"

"No." Amaimon scratched the back of his neck nervously, "My first word was 'moron'." Shiemi was so surprised, she stared at her friend with wide green-and-brown eyes. Amaimon chuckled fitfully, "I voiced my opinion on my nurse when she gave me liver instead of candy."  
Shiemi blinked. Then, she exploded into peals of laughter. Amaimon's face went neon-red, "Hey! It's not that bad! Aniue's first word was 'fetus'!"  
Shiemi laughed even harder, pounding the branch with her free fist. Amaimon smirked, "Alright, then, what was _your_ first word?"

Shiemi finally calmed down, wiping her eyes, "My first word was 'cookie'."

"Cookie." Amaimon's annoyed expression melted into a bright smile, "Nice!"

Shiemi giggled and hugged Suzume. She looked at Amaimon so...purely...the Earth King found himself playing with his claws. "Amai..." She said softly, "You're a good friend. Really. I think I'd just explode without you around."

Amaimon smiled a little and tucked some hair behind Shiemi's ear, "I was thinking exactly the same thing, Shiemi."

* * *

The next day, Mephisto himself appeared in class, "Good morning, everyone!"  
Everybody shared confused expressions, but they still chorused, 'Good morning, sir'. The purple-haired demon thought nothing of the lack of enthusiasm and spoke, "Now, I just wanted to bring a bit of information to the surface: demons, and when I say demons I mean particularly powerful ones that can't possess humans, have developed a new way to attack Assiah."

"How, Sir Pheles?" Yukio asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Mind control." Mephisto responded brightly, "In fact, it's something of an old tactic brought back in practice. In the late 1800's, it became something of a sport for demons to invade the minds of their victims. They'd create visions specifically designed to drive the victims insane. Only after months and months of shattering the humans' minds, only when the demons heard them literally **_begging _**for death did they finally kill them."

"That's horrible." Konekomaru breathed. Everyone else looked appalled, imagining what it must be like to be driven to the point to beg someone to kill them. Shiemi's fair face had gone sheet-white, while Rin's had become the color of a toad's.

"Anyway," Mephisto said cheerfully, "Yes, according to my sources, some demons are starting to put this back into practice since exorcism is becoming so efficient. Which is why I've told teachers to give each individual student practice to shield his/her mind from mental attacks. In other words, you will spend the last hour of each class learning to defend yourselves from telepathic offense. Clear?"

"Clear, sir." Came the chorused reply. Maybe it was Shiemi's imagination, but she thought she saw Mephisto's forest-green eyes linger on her a little longer than necessary. Then, with a polite bow, he left the room, his white cloak billowing after him.

Yukio looked unsure of what to say for a moment. Then, he glanced at the clock and clapped his hands, "Alright, well, er, we have about an hour and a half left of class. How about we start working on mental shields now?"

Everyone spoke in agreement. Yukio looked a bit more relaxed; he straightened and went to his desk, pulling out a book, "Okay, class. I'll call you out one by one, and spend fifteen minutes with each student. That way, if everything goes smoothly, we'll be done by lunch."

"Okumura Rin!"

Fifteen minutes later, a very frustrated-looking Rin emerged from the hallway, a sighing Yukio following him. "Dammit!" He protested, "It's not my fault I don't like Yukio poking around in my head! I have to put up with him at home enough!"

"Izumo Kamiki!"

"Renzō Shima!"

And so it went on. Each student came out sweating, practically crying, or ready to rip someone's head off. Finally, Shiemi's name was called. Fumbling with her short skirt, she walked into the hallway. Yukio looked exhausted, but he gave her a weak smile and held the book under his nose, "Alright, Shiemi. I'm going to try to penetrate your mind, and I want you to resist."  
Shiemi nodded, gulping.

"One...two...get ready...three!"

Shiemi shrieked in pain. Image after image flashed before her mind's eye, each less familiar than the previous one.

All of a sudden, she was five years old and laughing while riding on a black-haired man's shoulders...she was seven, screaming and kicking as a rough grip kept her still...she was nine, sleeping in an alley with a familiar black-haired girl...she was sixteen, hugging a familiar green-haired boy...then, she was kissing him.

_"I love you."_

"E-enough!"

Panting, Shiemi opened her eyes. Yukio looked perplexed, but he quickly recomposed himself, "It could've been worst. But you've got to push me out. Control your emotions. Block out your thoughts."

"I'm trying!" Shiemi protested.

"Then try harder!" Yukio snapped, "One, two, three!"

Shiemi screamed, clutching her head.

This time, the memories passing were mainly about Amaimon.

She was yelling at him to catch the ball...she was handing him a camellia...she was rolling up her sleeve, revealing her scarred arm...she was running through the street, her hand practically glued to his...she was singing a soft lullaby as he cried in her shoulder...she was dancing with him at a club...

"Stop it!" She cried. Yukio withdrew, looking as confused as ever. "Well," He ran a hand through his hair, "Those memories didn't exactly, um..."

"I have to go." Without waiting for an answer, Shiemi bolted down the hall, not looking back. Mephisto watched the whole thing from the surveillance cameras, a slow smiling appearing on his pale face.


	19. Chapter 18: Azazel's Decision

Chapter 18: Azazel's Decision

Shiemi sat in her room, meditating. Normally, she disliked meditation, especially because it bored her to tears. But after the events at school, she was determined to find out what was going on. She definitely couldn't go to her mother for help; she'd just panic and call a doctor. Nor could the exorcists help her. No, she had to do this by herself.

"Okay, Shiemi, concentrate..." She whispered.

She felt herself falling...

Shiemi precipitated down an endless tunnel made of glowing, jagged glass shards. As she zoomed down at a frightening speed, she heard bits of sentences and phrases from different people. Some were no louder than whispers, while other were so loud, Shiemi's eardrums prickled.

_"There's enough cruelty in the world without adding in more."_

_"Hello, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming to the weekly Deathmatch!"_

Shiemi noticed the glass shards; they reflected specific scenes, playing like home-movies. Some were hazier than others, and others were flawed and defective. A few kept replaying parts over and over.

_"Ultra-chaos endorphin screw, Hadouken-Style Alpha-Wave Version Kick!"_

_"I may not know you as well as your brother, but I do know this: you're **not** a monster."_

Shiemi didn't scream. While she'd been frightened before, she wasn't anymore. It was fascinating. It was like falling in a stethoscope. She almost enjoyed seeing these different snatches of Yukiko's life.

_"I love you."_

_"Together forever?"_

_"Together forever."_

Shiemi expected to crash-land on the hard ground or marble; that's why she was pleasantly surprised to find herself gently dwindle on the soft grass. The blonde girl looked around with wide green-and-brown eyes. The place she'd landed in was somewhat familiar, in a way. Trees as tall as buildings soared high into the night sky, casting everything below in freckled shadows. Odd, shrill cries interrupted the silences, and through the thick blankets of leaves, Shiemi gaped to see fire-birds soar across the sky. Hundreds, no, thousands of flowers grew amongst the grass, and fireflies illuminated the air.

"Wow..." Shiemi had to steady herself to keep from falling. It was then that she noticed that her outfit had changed. She stared admiringly at the skintight bodysuit that covered her from neck to toe. It was white as chalk, decorated with black circles, dots, and lines. The sleeves were torn, as were the ends of the pants. Shiemi smiled; it was a good thing she was alone, or she would've been blushing furiously.

When she looked ahead, though, she found company. Yukiko herself, dressed in a bodysuit identical to hers (only soot-black, embellished with white decorations) was sitting in an olive tree. Her exposed ankles and lower arms looked like they'd been patched together by a drunk seamstress. She stared blankly at Shiemi, her gaze faltering only by her blinks.

Shiemi frowned and walked towards the Earth Queen, "I wasn't expecting company."

Yukiko's stony expression melted. She gave the girl a half-smile, "You don't know your own mind."

Shiemi nodded in agreement, "It's a perfect stranger."

Yukiko smiled and shook her head. With ballerina-like grace, she jumped from the olive tree and landed on her feet. Rising, she said, "So...I imagine you're looking for answers."

"Well," Shiemi shrugged, "I wouldn't reject them."

Yukiko examined her closely, like she was trying to memorize her face. With a curt nod, she snapped her fingers. With a slight rumble, two chunks of earth pushed forward, molded by invisible hands until they resembled two chairs.

"Sit." It was a request, not an order. Shiemi seated herself, her hands on her lap, while Yukiko crashed in her chair. "Um, the first thing I wanted to ask is, well..."

"What in the world am I doing in your mind?" Yukiko interrupted softly.

Shiemi blushed.

"No need to be embarrassed," Yukiko straightened, "In fact, I've been trying to figure it out myself. I couldn't contact anyone from Gehenna, being, well, trapped in here."

"Trapped?" Shiemi frowned, "So you didn't try to possess me?"

"No." Yukiko grimaced, like the very idea repelled her, "I would never control someone's body. As I was dying, I was heartbroken and relieved at the same time. On one hand, the very concept of leaving my family, of never seeing them again..." Yukiko trailed off and wiped her eyes, "But on the other hand...Shiemi, look at me." She held out her arms, exposing her scars, "Does it look like I've had it easy?"

"No." Shiemi shook her head, "I've been in your memories." She panicked, "N-not on purpose, of course! B-but...you've had such a hard life. I don't know what kept you going."  
"I don't know, either," Yukiko shrugged, "I suppose..." Her expression hardened, "I wanted my survival to mean something. Even though I would've willingly died for my friends, still would, I didn't want to just die after surviving. Just _dying_, that's kind of lame. But dying protecting my friends..." She nodded, "Now, that, I wouldn't have minded."

Shiemi smiled, "I could never be as brave as you."

Yukiko did the last thing Shiemi expected; she giggled. Shiemi tilted her head, "What?"

"Remember what you did, when Rin lost control?" Yukiko asked quietly, affectionately stroking her wedding ring. Shiemi recalled almost immediately; she'd wrapped her arms around him, and he'd sobered. Yukiko nodded, like she knew what the blonde girl was thinking, "I did something very similar to that about a year ago. Amaimon had been in a blood-rage, and he'd been ready to kill me. But I stopped him."  
She reached out and patted Shiemi's hand, "You're braver than you think, Shiemi."

The girl smiled slowly as her eyes locked with Yukiko's. She realized, with some sorrow, that if Yukiko hadn't died, if she'd survived, the two could've been friends. Close friends, even.

Yukiko chuckled nervously and ran a hand through her cinnamon-blonde hair, "About your behavior over the past few days...and your eye..." She held her hands up in surrender, "I swear on my, well, afterlife, that I had absolutely no interference. I figured that my presence changed your behavior patterns at least a little, and you gained an ounce of my power, but I did nothing."

Shiemi sighed in relief and beamed at the Earth Queen, "Thank you."

Yukiko frowned, "For what?"

"For not trying to control me." Shiemi continued to smile, but it dissolved, "Yukiko! You're losing your pattern!"

Yukiko looked down. Indeed, her body was fuzzy, crackled and unfocused, like an ancient television program. With wide eyes, she eyed Shiemi, "So are you."  
The blonde girl examined her dissolving body, panic forming in her chest.

"It looks like there's not enough room for both of us in here." Yukiko said sadly.

* * *

"Ah, Amaimon. What brings you h-gaak!" Azazel's greeting was cut short when the Earth King grabbed him by the collar.

"What did you do?" Amaimon roared, "What did you do to my wife?"  
"What're you talking about?" Azazel asked calmly.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Amaimon's eyes filled with tears, but he was too furious to care, "I know you put Yukiko's soul in Shiemi's body! You decide what happens to people who die prematurely!"

Azazel sighed and rolled his eyes. He extracted himself from Amaimon's grip, "Sit down, and I'll explain everything."

"I don't want to sit!" Amaimon screamed.

"Either you sit, or my lips are sealed." Azazel spoke in a dangerously calm voice. With a second's hesitation, Amaimon sighed in exasperation and crashed in a chair, splintering it.

"That's better." Azazel purred, "As to your question, yes, I sent Yukiko's soul to Shiemi, who'd been dying at the time from a snake bite."  
"Why?"

"Because," Azazel's voice softened slightly, "Yukiko has led a very unhappy life. Until she met you, she was a starving orphan with nobody but Hoshi. She had no abundant source of food, clothes, or medicine, and when she was brought to Demonic Genesis, she and Hoshi were trapped. She had found joy in being your wife, I could tell. When she was murdered, I wanted to give her another chance. I wanted to give her a chance to lead a normal, happy life. That's why I did it."

"But why Shiemi? Why not-"

"Because Shiemi, hard as it is to believe, is exactly the type of person Yukiko would've been had she had a normal life. She wouldn't look like a human stitch factory, for one thing." Azazel responded calmly. Amaimon tried to get out of his chair, but a ghostly belt held him back.

"Don't you _**ever**_ insult Yukiko in my presence!" He growled.

"Very well," Azazel sighed, "What I forgot was: human bodies aren't designed to contain more than one soul."

Amaimon felt everything slowly turn to ice. Without thinking, his hand went to the locket in his shirt. His voice sounded shattered as he whispered, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Azazel locked eyes with his half-brother, "One of their souls has to sacrifice itself."


	20. Chapter 19: Come and Gone

Chapter 19: Come and Gone

"Mr. Pheles," Yukio was using all of his willpower to sound civil, "Why did you lie, exactly?"

"Me? Lie?" Mephisto giggled, "What makes you say that, Okumura?"

"Well," The young professor adjusted his glasses with trembling hands, "Several of the professors, myself included, did some research. You claimed that demons were beginning to attack Assiah by invading humans' minds, right?"

"Right." Mephisto nodded, his smile never faltering.

"Well, nothing supports your words. Absolutely nothing. No news, no reports, no calls from the Vatican." Yukio leaned forward, "Now, I will repeat myself: why did you lie?"

Mephisto beamed as though Yukio had solved a very challenging puzzle. "Sit down." He waved his hand, and a white armchair shuffled forward. Hesitantly, Yukio obeyed, running a hand through his brown hair.

The purple-haired demon took a deep breath and spoke, "Do you remember Shiemi's little speech on the Earth King, roughly three weeks ago?"  
"Yes." Yukio asked, his brow arching.

"Well, she didn't make it up." Mephisto's eyes twinkled, "Every word of it was true."

"But how could she get such information?" Yukio demanded, "How could a 16-year-old Tamer obtain information that even our best exorcists couldn't find?"  
"Because," Mephisto spoke to his half-brother as though he were an enraged infant, "Amaimon's mate, Yukiko Bundō, spoke through Shiemi's lips."

"Yukiko...? Was she...?" Yukio's brow creased in thought for a moment. Then, he looked at Mephisto for confirmation, "Was she one of those girls who were involved in Demonic Genesis?"

"None other."

"Well, this can only mean that Yukiko possessed Shiemi!" Yukio jumped to his feet, "We have to exorcise her immediately! Two souls can't reside in one body! I'll call-"

"_Sit_." Mephisto's smile was gone. An actual snarl had taken its place. Yukio was so shocked, he refused to move. Then, he shakily sank back down in the armchair. Mephisto smiled again, "Good. Now, I am very aware of this fact. That's why I made up that story of demons controlling people's minds."

Yukio blinked, "Sir, you lost me."

"I wanted Shiemi to look through Yukiko's memories," Mephisto explained brightly, "And understand how difficult Yukiko's existence has been. I wanted Shiemi to willingly sacrifice herself to allow Yukiko to live."

"**_What?_**" Yukio roared, "But why? Why would you want Shiemi to die? Don't you care about your students at all?"

"Of course I do." Mephisto brushed Yukio's anger aside, "But I care about my sister-in-law more. Do you really think I'd let her die? Did you know I have a niece now? The child would grow up motherless. Besides," Mephisto looked at his gloves with a hard expression, "Yukiko is like a sister to me. A beloved sister."

"Oh, please!" Yukio yelled, rising from his chair, "I won't let Shiemi give up her life. Good day, sir."

Without waiting for Mephisto's response, Yukio slammed the office door behind him. The purple-haired demon sighed, "Things are certainly getting interesting."

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Shiemi, are you sure you're okay?" Rin asked through mouthfuls of sandwich. Shiemi, who looked like she'd lost a wrestling match with her pillow, groaned and clutched her head, "I don't know, Rin. I've already taken three painkillers this morning."  
Rin's eyes widened, "Three? Damn. It's not your, uh, you know..."  
Despite her pounding head, Shiemi half-glared at her friend, "No, Rin. That's due in two more weeks."

"Thanks for the warning." Rin sighed and took another bite of his food, "Still, ya want me to call the nurse or-"

Shiemi made a weird guttural sound, like someone had punched her in the stomach. Rin glanced at her worriedly, "Shiemi?"  
The blonde girl didn't reply. Instead, she spoke in a voice very different from hers; it sounded like her and another girl speaking simultaneously, "_Can't...stay..._"  
With a small yelp of pain, she passed out. "Shiemi!" Rin caught her as her legs gave out. He stared at her pale, sweating face and shook her roughly, "Yo, Shiemi! Wake up!"  
When that failed, Rin bit back a curse and scooped the girl in his arms, rushing to the nurse's office.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Amaimon burst into the hospital room, his green-blue eyes wide. He took one look at Shiemi's still form in the bed and felt the floor crumble under him. His mind told him that it was an illusion, but he knew better. What he was seeing was the real deal. He found his voice after a minute, "What happened?"

"She's dying, that's what happened!" Rin screamed, his voice cracking. Tears rolled down his pale cheeks as he turned back to the sleeping girl, continuing to squeeze her hand. Amaimon stood there in stunned, numb silence before Izumo said curtly, "She passed out before class. The nurse gave her a thorough examination, but she couldn't find the source of the problem. All we know is: her mind's turned itself off. So we called an ambulance, and here she is. Her mother's on the way, too."

"Like you care, Eyebrows!" Rin barked, "Shiemi told me what you called her! 'Freak'? The only freaks I see here is you and Broccoli-head!"  
"Why you blithering, non-nonsensical ass!" Izumo yelled, her face reddening, "I was upset! You can't expect me to control my emotions all the time, now can you?"

"When it comes to basic manners, yes!" Rin retorted, his ocean-blue eyes glinting dangerously.

"Stop!" Paku yelled, "Will you please just stop!"

The two students sobered immediately, for her sake. Rin sighed and turned away, his eyes focused on Shiemi's face. Amaimon found himself sitting opposite of Rin, his claw gently stroking the girl's hair. An awkward silence as heavy as fog filled the room, interrupted by people talking in nearby rooms and corridors.

Rin had half a mind to slap his 'brother's hand away, but he never got the chance. Shiemi's breathing deepened, like her lungs lacked air. Rin and Amaimon both rose as Shiemi's eyes flew open. The Earth King felt his spirits soar. Shiemi's eyes were completely chocolate-brown. Not a trace of green could be seen.

Rin noticed, too. That's why a hint of anxiety entered his voice, "Shiemi? Are you okay?"

"Moriyama?" Paku asked softly, leaning forward in her chair. Shiemi breathed deeply as her eyes wandered. When they found Amaimon, they warmed up. The green-haired boy felt a flame warm his chest as Shiemi sat up, her eyes never leaving his face. Without saying a word, she cupped his pale cheek.

She beamed, "Hi, Amai."

"Yukiko?" Amaimon blurted out, his hand finding hers. Paku and Izumo shared puzzled frowns as Yukiko examined the unblemished, perfect arm. Her eyes burned with envy, "So, _this_ is what it's like."

Amaimon laughed as tears of joy spilled down his face, "You were stunningly beautiful to me, anyway. Scars and all." Yukiko smiled lovingly as the Earth King cupped her face and kissed her deeply. Rin, for some odd reason, didn't want to kick Amaimon's face in as much. The girl was clearly possessed; whatever she did, it was really some demon acting through her. Still, seeing his half-brother's lips press against his girl's made Rin's fists tighten.

Amaimon slowly pulled away, his eyes swimming with love and affection. Paku cleared her throat nervously and spoke, "I-I don't understand."  
Yukiko glanced at Paku.

"If this is 'Yukiko'," Paku continued, "Where's Shiemi?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Rin chimed in, crossing his arms.

Yukiko bit her lip, clearly upset. She fumbled with her hands,relishing in their smooth, un-scarred state, "There was only enough room for one of us at a time. Shiemi's...well, on the other side, for the time being."

"**_WHAT?_**" Rin grabbed Yukiko's shoulders, making her wince, "Bring her back, you stupid bitch!"

Amaimon shoved his 'brother' with a growl; the black-haired boy flew into the wall, making a huge dent. "Don't you **_dare_** talk to my wife like that, you foolish little boy!" Amaimon spat, his claw on Yukiko's shoulder.

"Hold on." Izumo spoke up, "What do you mean, 'for the time being'?" Amaimon glanced at Yukiko like the thought had never occurred to him. Was she going to leave him again? The Earth King doubted he could handle it a second time.

Again, Yukiko looked far from comfortable, "It's only for a little while. I just wanted to use this body to say goodbye."  
"What?" Amaimon cupped Yukiko's face and locked eyes with her, "What are you saying, Yuki? You're...you're leaving again?"  
Yukiko started to speak, then looked at the three students, "Can you give us a moment, please?"

Rin growled and looked ready to curse her eight ways to Sunday, but a glare from the two girls silenced him. He sighed and detached himself from the wall, "Fine." The trio left the room, closing the door behind them.

Yukiko turned to her husband, "Amai, you have to understand. Forcing Shiemi to sacrifice herself is wrong."

"But..." Amaimon was visibly crying now, "What about us? Don't...don't you love me?"

"Of course I do!" Yukiko buried her streaming face in his chest, wrapping her arms around him, "I love you more than I love myself. You, aside from Hoshi, are the only person I've ever truly loved."

"Then why are you doing this?" Amaimon whispered.

"Because..." Yukiko shakily got to her feet, Amaimon helping her. She looked into his eyes, "...It's wrong." She took a deep, shaky breath, "When I was alive, my life was taken from me, right when I was finally happy. But now..." Another tear rolled down her face, "...Now, I'm taking it from someone else."

She locked their fingers together, "I love you, Amaimon. But you can't ask me to do this to Shiemi."

The Earth King stared at her for a few seconds that lasted an eternity. Then, he nodded, "I understand." With that, he kissed her fully, not caring if he made her fall. Yukiko kissed him back desperately, holding him for dear life. After a full minute, the spouses pulled away, panting and teary-eyed.

"Don't think I'll leave you like this." Yukiko smiled at little at him. She took his hand, "We're dancing. Right now."

"Here?" Amaimon fell in love with the idea instantly, but the concept of his last time with his wife being spent in a dimly-lit hospital room seemed hardly fair. Yukiko rolled her eyes, "No, silly. I mean outside."

"But it's raining out." It wasn't a protest. It was an observation.

"I know."

* * *

Amaimon and Shiemi danced a slow waltz, enjoying the cold droplets pouring down on them. The stormy afternoon was entirely silent aside from the occasional rumble and the squelching of Yukiko's bare feet on the ground. The couple never looked away from each other, not for one moment.

"I'll never forget you." Amaimon said sincerely, his index finger trailing down Yukiko's cheek. She blinked back tears, "Don't act like this is forever, Amai. Please."

Amaimon smiled sadly, "Alright. But I still won't forget you."

Yukiko sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder as they continued to sway gently. Then, she looked deeply in his eyes and pressed her lips against his. Amaimon closed his eyes, memorizing the feeling. Slowly, Yukiko pulled away and whispered, "I love you." She took several steps back. The Earth King watched as his wife danced in the rain, as blissful and free as a cub.

Something happened, then. Something that would be carved in the green-haired boy's mind for many centuries afterwards.

There was a bright flash, and Yukiko, the **_real_** Yukiko, scars and all, continued to dance freely. A couple of seconds later, another flash lit up the field. Shiemi took the Earth Queen's place. She held her hands and face up to the heavens, her wet hair billowing in the wind. With a third flash, Yukiko appeared, then Shiemi again.

The storm roared on, louder than before. At first, Amaimon thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but he was proved incorrect as a bright green light no larger than a firefly bolted out of the black clouds. It grew as it flew towards Shiemi, taking on the shape of a young girl.

It slammed into Shiemi, making her stumble. Another light, this one bright cobalt, zoned out of Shiemi. It looked like the first one, only broader and with curly hair. It floated in the air for a moment, then vanished.

Shiemi groaned, and fell to her side.

"Shiemi!" Amaimon turned to surprise to see his 'brother' racing towards the fallen girl. Ignoring the pounding rain, the black-haired boy picked up Shiemi and rushed back towards the hospital.

Amaimon stood there, his lips still warm from Yukiko's last kiss.

"Goodbye." He whispered.

Then, he ran back to Gehenna.


	21. Epilogue

**Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuun! It's finished! I sincerely hope you enjoyed my trilogy. I might create another one for Blue Exorcists, it'll take time. It took me two weeks to plan out _this_ plot! So yeah, I hope you like it!**

Epilogue (Ten Years Later)

Three children were playing in the Moriyama garden. One was a slender, 10-year-old girl with smooth, light brown skin, waist-long straight black hair with natural green highlights, and catlike amber eyes. The second was a seven-year-old girl with her father's bluish-black hair, her mother's fair skin, and her uncle's turquoise eyes. The third was a five-year-old boy with his mother's dark brown eyes and his grandfather's fiery hair. All three of them had demonic appearances: pointed ears, fangs, and furry-tipped tails that were now trailing behind them. Their names were Suzume, Yukiko, and Aki. They were playing tag, though Suzume was cheating by summoning the ground to make barriers around herself.

Four adults were sitting in the shade the house provided, watching their children fondly. Rin and his wife were tenderly holding hands on the porch, smiling as their daughter squealed with laughter and chased Suzume. They'd named her after Amaimon's wife, without whom Shiemi probably wouldn't be alive.

Hoshi and her husband, Bon, were sitting on the grass, not close enough to be touching but enough to feel each other's warmth. They'd met shortly after the death of Hoshi's sister, when the Japanese girl had been so upset as to attempt suicide. Bon had been there and stopped her before she could slit her wrists, and from there, they'd grown fond of each other. Hoshi had married Bon shortly after he became an Aria (someone who defeated demons by reciting verses from the Bible). While the girl rarely smiled and still had to take anti-depressant pills, she was slowly getting better.

Amaimon sat by himself. He hadn't aged a day since that stormy afternoon, though one could definitely detect a difference in appearance. The Earth King's green-blue eyes looked like they'd been outlined with Sharpie, and his skin had paled even more than before; now, it had a gray tint to it.

His mood had changed, too; whenever he caught someone moving something of Yukiko's or even touching it, he flew into such a rage, Mephisto had to sedate him most times. Still, he managed to pull himself together to raise his daughter, who became his reason to live. He couldn't abandon Suzume, not when she needed him the most. The Earth King found that his daughter strongly resembled Yukiko personality-wise. Like her mother, Suzume loved to read and spent hours, if not days, cooped up in the library with a book the size of a laptop on her knees. Though she, like her father, had a burning love for sweets.

Amaimon never quite got over Yukiko's death. He spoke much less than before, and he stopped killing innocents out of boredom. While his father and Mephisto tried to pair him up with other young demons many times, he rejected them each and every time, angrily. He simply refused to ever marry again. No female could ever replace his Yukiko. He dedicated every second of his free time with Suzume, who'd grown beautifully despite lacking a parent. He almost never let her out of his sight, and anyone who looked at them could see their unbreakable bond.

The Earth King stared at the life-sized statue Shiemi had had built shortly after the event. It was a simple statue of Yukiko in her casual, baggy clothes. Amaimon had pestered the workers until the statue was perfect. He spent many hours staring at it, sometimes half-hoping it would come to life. But it was impossible; Yukiko's grave had been moved here. Those children didn't even realize they were playing in a graveyard. Well, Suzume did. Aki and the second Yukiko would know soon enough.

Underneath the statue, Amaimon himself had carved words. They had come to him after a long train of thought:

_Yukiko Bundō-Pheles_

_Born July 6th, 1996 - Died August 20th, 2012_

_A true diamond in the rough_


End file.
